BIRD-SONGS. 86 



sing for joy ; and their joy, of course, has vari- 

 ous causes. 



For one thing, they are very sensitive to the 

 weather. With them, as with us, sunlight and 

 a genial warmth go to produce serenity. A 

 bright summer-like day, late in October, or even 

 in November, will set the smaller birds to sing- 

 ing, and the grouse to drumming. I heard a 

 robin venturing a little song on the 25th of last 

 December ; but that, for aught I know, was a 

 Christmas carol. No matter what the season, 

 you will not hear a great deal of bird music dur- 

 ing a high wind ; and if you are caught in the 

 woods by a sudden shower in May or June, and 

 are not too much taken up with thoughts of 

 your own condition, you will hardly fail to no- 

 tice the instant silence which falls upon the 

 woods with the rain. Birds, however, are more 

 or less inconsistent (that is a part of their like- 

 ness to us), and sometimes sing most freely 

 when the sky is overcast. 



But their highest joys are by no means de- 

 pendent upon the moods of the weather. A 

 comfortable state of mind is not to be contemned, 

 but beings who are capable of deep and passion- 

 ate affection recognize a difference between com- 

 fort and ecstasy. And the peculiar glory of 

 birds is just here, in the all-consuming fervor 

 of their love. It would be commonplace to call 



