THE MUSIC OF THE BIRDS. 



251 



the family was instantaneous ; not another move or peep. The 

 descent noted is similar to that made by the screech-owl. The 

 intervals are identical ; but the hen slides down with an oily 

 smoothness, while the owl, as elsewhere shown, comes trembling, 

 shivering down. 



Being an hour late with their breakfast one morning, I was 

 received by the feathered supplicants with unusual demonstra- 

 tions. They crowded about me so closely I could hardly step 

 without treading on their toes. With heads lifted much higher 

 than one would think they could be, and eyes shining, their 

 tones and inflections were exceedingly human. Like all birds, 

 wild or tame, hens employ, ascending and descending, the inter- 

 vals of our scale, except in cases as above described ; they use 

 the half -step and whole step, the major and minor thirds, the 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth, with a good sprinkling of chromatics. In 

 this instance, every degree of the staff was brought into requi- 

 sition, the slide of a fourth upward occurring oftenest. 



.0. 



y- 3 h 



-**-+ 



^-f 



Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, ok, ik, ok, ok, ok, ik. 



The notes of one hen were all the same, and piano : 



P 



1 



/> 



= 



A-^ 



f'-*- 



- a W ! 



^=$=2^=j 



r_3_n- 



-&- 



i 



o - ark, o - ark, ark, ark, ark, ark, ark, ark, 



ark. 



^ 



-<s>- 



I 



But the rooster's petition " led all the rest." Striding about in 



the rear, an occasional brief command attesting his title of 

 tain," at length he burst out into this sonorous strain : 



cap- 



m 



cres. 



f 



* 



^=1- 



3 



1 



Wauk,wauk,wauk, wauk,wauk, wauk, wauk,wauk,wauk,wauk,wauk,wauk,wauk. 



The captain's voice was round and powerful, and his intona- 

 tion perfect. The slides of the third and fourth were carried up 

 with a noble crescendo ; and, when he rose to the tonic at the 

 close, the effect was thrilling as that of a clarion blast. What 



