234 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



heard meadow larks in tones of sweetness quite 

 equal to our birds add two notes to this strain 

 making it in complete form: "Spring o' year, 

 my de-ar!" a wonderfully lovely song beautifully 

 rendered; while above the Limberlost we had the 

 notes of an English skylark a few years ago, but 

 I fear that he did not survive, as I heard him for 

 only two seasons. 



The night hawk's tribal call is a hiss when dis- 

 turbed, and his music is usually described as boom- 

 ing, since to produce it the bird flies aloft to a 

 height of eighty feet or more and then drops 

 vertically to earth with extended wings, so that 

 the air whistles through the primaries in a queer, 

 booming sound. 



Among the almost songless birds may be classed 

 the cowbird, which sits on the fences with swollen 

 throat, half-lifted wings, tucked tail, and with 

 deep guttural utterances wheezes forth something 

 that sounds like: " Gluck-zee-zee ! " these notes 

 being brought forth with such apparent effort 

 that once is as often as the bird delivers them at a 

 time as a rule. Most rules concerning bird music 

 are extremely flexible, since these little creatures, 

 having the freedom of the earth and air, are about 

 as irresponsible as the wind that "bloweth where 

 it listeth," this being a very good description of the 

 manner in which birds sing. 



( Joining back to the Cabins, we always have the 

 chimney swift, which glues its nest inside the fire- 



