BIRD LANGUAGE. 19I 



constantly, so that the different members of the 

 band may keep together. The Bobolink has a call 

 note unlike that of any other American bird, a rich 

 chink, which is ofien heard from the sky in the clear 

 autumn nights. Who knows what the Bobolink is 

 doing up there in the darkness instead of sleeping in 

 the Ion or arass ? 



The call notes are often used by the birds on vari- 

 ous other occasions ; the bird has so few words that 

 he must make them do for several purposes. If a 

 bird is excited, even if he is not actually afraid, he 

 often gives his alarm note, and if he is pleased he 

 gives his call note, without meaning to call his friends. 

 A hen has a peculiar drawling note which she uses 

 when she feels happy, and, by changing it a little, she 

 expresses the unhappiness she feels in wet or unpleas- 

 ant w^eathen A mother bird has often many little 

 low and gentle notes which she uses to her young in 

 the nest, and often this same baby talk is used by the 

 parents to each other. Lastly, the young have notes 

 of their own which generally mean, " Come ! come ! 

 I am so hungry." 



If birds had no other notes than these which I have 

 mentioned, many which are now famous the w^orld 

 over, and beloved by nearly all people, w^ould be 

 almost unknown. 



There is a bird in PZurope whose call note is very 



