1/2 Our Bird Friends. 



in the size tind skill of its possessor accounts lor the 

 wonderful differences in the sounds it can give forth, 

 and although it appears difficult to conceive that 

 the hoarse croak of the Raven and the shrill whistle 

 of the Sandpiper, the rasping skirl of the Partridge 

 and the liquid song of the Nightingale, can be pro- 

 duced by the same kind of instrument, yet such is 

 the case. 



When a bird such as a Thrush is singing, the 

 neck is worked up and down like the sliding tube 

 of a trom])one, in order to give its (liferent notes 

 the proper pitch, and often the throat feathers may 

 be seen quivering as a consequence of the air 

 vibrations taking place within. 



The way in which a Lesser J^lack - i^acked 

 Gull manages to modulate the soimd of its un- 

 musical voice is most laughable. It will stand 

 on a rock looking very solemn lor a while, and 

 then, gravely bowing its head until it has reached 

 a position indicative of a sense of extreme humility, 

 it will commence to utter the bottom notes of its call. 

 The head is then slowly raised and thrown upwards 

 and backwards until the crown sometimes comes 

 within a few inches of the shoulders, when the 

 top notes are reached and thrown out pell-mell 

 between a pair of widely-opened mandibles. I saw 

 the bird tigiu"ed in the front of the illustration on 

 page 170 repeatedly do this before and after its 

 portrait was secured. 



Most birds can quite easily utter their call and 



