The Chaffinch 



CHAPTER XIV 



Bird Music 



To those who delight in bird music it appears strange 

 that there should be many persons who are quite in- 

 different to it, who will hear you speak of its charm or 

 beauty with impatience and perhaps incredulity. It is 

 probable that in many cases the indifference is the result 

 of a town life and the dulling effect on the sense of 

 hearing of an atmosphere of loud jarring noises, also 

 of the loudness of the instrumental music to which they 

 are accustomed. Our civilisation is a noisy one, and 

 as it increases in noisiness the smaller, more delicate 

 musical instruments which must be heard in a quiet 

 atmosphere lose their ancient charm and finally become 

 obsolete. The tendency is towards louder instruments 



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