4 1 Habits of the Stormcock. 



might really imagine that the song of the male is absolutely 

 uxorious ; and, in truth, it may be, for aught I know to the 

 contrary. No cow ever chewed her cud more deliberately 

 than I have weighed this matter in my own mind ; and, after 

 all, I am not one jot the wiser. My speculations in April 

 have all been shivered to atoms in November, and I am left 

 in the midst of uncertainty. To-day, I hear a male bird 

 singing close to the bush where his female is on her nest; and 

 five months hence I shall hear a male bird sing, in apparent 

 ecstasy, when the chilling season of the year peremptorily 

 forbids the female to make any preparations for the nursery. 

 Baffled at every point, I sometimes peevishly ask myself, Why 

 should nature have made a provision in the male blackbird, 

 in order that he may soothe his incubating female, and have 

 denied that provision to my favourite the carrion crow ? And 

 then I answer my own question, by whispering to myself, that 

 the she carrion may possibly experience wonderful delight in 

 listening to the hoarse croaking of her partner; just as the 

 old Scotchwoman did when she used to gaze at the carbuncle 

 on her husband's nose. In a word, I know nothing, abso- 

 lutely nothing, about the song in birds. The raven will whistle 

 you a tune so true and pleasing, that you feel quite enchanted 

 with his performance; whilst his congener, the carrion 

 crow, notwithstanding all your pains to instruct him, will re- 

 main as unmusical as Paddy's riddle, which was dumb for want 

 of catgut. We listen with delight to the many species of 

 male birds which make the groves resound with their melody ; 

 and we cannot imagine why the females so seldom venture 

 an attempt at song; for we know that with us both ladies and 

 gentlemen are full of fine sounds. Wherever a Braham is 

 heard, there is sure to be a Billington not far off. 



However, should it be the case, in ornithology, that Nature 

 has ordered the male to sing his female to repose, there are 

 some exceptions to the supposed general rule. I may adduce 

 the stormcock by way of example ; for he warbles nearly the 

 year throughout. I have often heard him pour forth his wild 

 and plaintive notes in the months of August, October, No- 

 vember, and December ; and in every following month, until 

 the sun has entered into Cancer, at which period, he seems to 

 unstring his lyre for a few weeks. Towards the close of De- 

 cember, his song is particularly charming; and it becomes 

 more frequent as the new year advances. I remember well 

 (indeed, I noted down the circumstance), that, on December 

 21. 1827, his carol was remarkably attractive. He warbled 

 incessantly from the top of a lofty elm, just as the poor from 

 a neighbouring village were receiving corn under it, in me- 



