THE LOVE DISPLAYS OF BIRDS 213 



as well as their various love cries and sounds, 

 together with those wonderful displays which are 

 intimately connected with their courtship and 

 their love. Bird music very naturally divides 

 itself into two distinct classes ; that is, it may 

 either be vocal music, produced by the organs 

 of voice, or it may be instrumental music, pro- 

 duced by certain purely mechanical means. 

 The vocal music of birds is unquestionably the 

 sweetest of all natural sounds, and one which, no 

 matter how great the variety in which we may 

 hear it, or how widely contrasted each song 

 may be within the most limited area, is never 

 out of harmony. Who ever heard a trace of 

 discord in the avine chorus of the woods and 

 fields ? Now, this is a consummation to which 

 even the human voice, and human music too, 

 can make no pretension, with the possible ex- 

 ception, shall we say, of such gifted ears for 

 melody as that famous Highland piper who, 

 during the narration of his fighting and piping 

 experiences to a few boon companions, is re- 

 ported to have said : " It was ae grand nicht 

 in Mrs. Glasse's wee back parlour in the Coo- 

 gate — nineteen pipers besides her nain sel, a' 

 playin' at the same time, an' a' playin' deeferent 

 maisik, when I jist thocht I was floatin' tae 



