134 THE SONG SPARROW. 



parlor-organ. All these vocal contrivances are greatly 

 aided again by the air-cavities and passages pervading the 

 interior of the body, the muscles and the bones. The 

 delightful qualities of tone, and the variations of melody 

 which are thus made possible to the sylvan songster, must 

 fall on the ear of a genuine lover of music to be fully 

 appreciated. Truly nature has concentrated the energy of 

 the song-bird in the vocal powers as well as that of birds in 

 general in the wing. Song, that high endowment of a portion 

 only of the human race, is the peculiar and fascinating gift of 

 certain birds, thus placing them not only above all others 

 of their kind, but above all the rest of animated nature. 



How often throughout the season have I felt the cheering 

 influence of the melody of a Song Sparrow as it sang regu- 

 larly in the apple-trees near my study-window! Many a 

 performance by the human voice have I heard, far less sig- 

 nificant and entertaining than this spirited pastoral. The 

 song of this species varies greatly in different individuals, 

 and I have sometimes thought that it varied greatly in 

 different and distant localities. On going into the higher 

 regions of our Great Lakes, for instance, I have suspected 

 the melody of the Song Sparrow to be that of some other 

 species, until I had thoroughly assured myself. Ordinarily, 

 the song has a peculiar, vibrating tone, making one think of 

 a tremulous reed or chord; but often the more prolonged 

 notes are decidedly tintinnabular}^, as if the bird carried a 

 tiny bell in its throat, and struck off its tones in the most 

 delicate and pleasing manner. The order, again, of the 

 long notes and the short ones in the melody may be end- 

 lessly varied. Well, indeed, has this interesting species 

 been called the Song Sparrow. 



In autumn, even, especially in the balmy days of Indian 

 Summer, one may hear its lay — not so loud and penetrat- 



