BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 341 



and before I could turn around six of this species were almost 

 within my reach directly before me, one of which was a female, 

 that perched upon the top-most branch of a bush a little further 

 removed, and the males all singing, poised on their wings and 

 at the same time pecking, biting, tearing each other until the 

 blood was dripping from one of them — never sweeter nor half 

 so varied melody from the throats of these birds, each ap- 

 parently at his very best endeavor, while maintaining the 

 bloodiest bird battle I ever witnessed. The mystery was, 

 where the notes found a vent through bills occupied with the 

 gore and feathers of such conflict, or where such savagery 

 could reach its foe through beaks so exquisitely freighted 

 with melody! Although, unavoidably cognizant of my proxi- 

 mity they entirely ignored my presence, and continued the 

 battle in a heterogeneous melee, surging, backward, forward, 

 upward, downward, once directly through a leafless oak bush 

 of considerable size down onto the ground, and up again, 

 never for a single moiety of a moment relaxing or diminish- 

 ing their mellifluous torrent of melody, until two dropped to 

 the ground absolutely exhausted, with their wings extended, 

 their mouths open, and panting as if life was ebbing away at 

 the very moment. The other three sought the nearest perch 

 upon some brush and a wood-pile, one of which alone con- 

 tinued his perfectly maintained song. Daring this Balaklavian 

 charge of the feathered cavaliers, I glanced at the familiar 

 female, who, without seeming to entertain the least concern 

 about the ambitious singing, or the grand result, was pruning 

 her feathers, in the calm, composed deliberation of an ex- 

 emplary grandmother getting ready for church or prayer- 

 meeting. 



In a few minutes, perhaps I should say moments (for one 

 does not measure time very accurately under such circumstan- 

 ces), the exhausted pair gathered themselves up and slipped 

 away out of sight amongst the bushes, while the two perchers 

 in silence flew nervously away in another direction. 



All this time the victor held his solitary strain at its wildest 

 pitch, but instantly when the others had gone he ceased, and 

 bounded into the air, and away, over the tops of the bushes, 

 and the hitherto unconcerned coquette immediataly followed 

 him as if she had always been his devoted wife. 



Lovelier blood, or bloodier love, I never witnessed, from 

 which I turned with some reflections which domestic prudence 

 suggests "are better left unsung." 



