Abstract
A THUNDER-STORM of great severity passed over us, travelling round from west to south, between 4 and 8 o'clock p.m., May 28, and killing a man in the open air three miles from my residence. The thermometer stood about 70° all the while. During the storm, and even when the thunder-peals were loudest, the chaffinches kept singing, and the blackbirds' notes alternated with the thunder-claps. The rain was moderate, and as the air filled with insects and perfume, the swallows kept busily, skimming even while forked lightning was flashing. Horses in the fields however exhibited symptoms of terror.
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SHAW, J. Birds Singing during Thunder. Nature 24, 101 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/024101f0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/024101f0
Kaecyy
Dear J. Shaw— Thank you for your observation; I found your text after searching the internet as to the question of whether birds sing during thunderstorms, and you have answered my question beautifully. I hope you are in better health than may be expected, given what's happened over the last 139 years. Sincerely, Kaecyy