140 WOOD NOTES WILD. 



Why Birds Sing. — Contin. 



the bird's inspiration, and no person who has heard the mocking-bird's 

 dreamy night-lay can doubt that it is a fine expression of the nocturnal 

 influence. 



"Indeed, all our birds use what we call their voices, just as we use 

 ours, for the purposes of expression generally ; and I am convinced that 

 bird-song proper, though ofteuest the expression of some phase of the 

 tender passion, is not confined to such expression. ... I have watched 

 birds at their singing under many and widely differing circumstances, 

 and I am sure that they express joyous anticipation, present content, 

 and pleasant recollection, each as the mood moves, and all with equal 

 ease." — Xliompson, M. : Sylvan Secrets, pp. 74, 75, 78. 



See Spencer, H. : Origin and Function of Music. (Fraser's Mag., 

 vol. Ivi., 1857, p. 396.) (A postscript to this essay is to be found in Pop. 

 Sci. Mo., vol. xxxviii., November, 1890.) 



" The act of singing is evidently a pleasurable one ; and it probably 

 serves as an outlet for superabundant nervous energy and excitement, 

 just as dancing, singing, and field sports do with us." — Wallace, A. R. : 

 Darwinism (London, 1889), p. 284. 



For criticism of Darwin's theory of the origin of bird-song, see Mivart, 

 St. G. : Lessons from Nature, etc. (London, 1876), pp. 312-313. 



Organs of Song. 



On this point we are still where Father Kircher left off 

 in 1650. If song depended on the larynx, he says, the 

 hog would sing beautifully ; adding, " quod ridiculum ne 

 dicam stolidum esset afferere" (Musurgia, bk. l, chap. xiv.). 



See Agassiz and Gould: Principles of Zoology, pt. 1 (Boston, 1866), 

 pp. 65-66. — Axon, W. E. A.: Voice of Animals. {Bi-it. Alma., 1885, 

 pp. 104-114.) — Encyclo. Brit., vol. iii. Article "Birds," respiratory and 

 vocal organs. — Blanchard, E. : Voice in Man and in Animals. Tr. by 

 J. Fitzgerald. (Pop. Sci. Mo., vol. ix., August and September, 1876, pp. 

 385-398, 513-523.) —Buckland, F. : Natural Trumpet of the Crane. 

 {Pop. Sci. Mo., vol. ix., 1876, pp. 137-140. From " Land and Water.") — 

 Herissant, in Memoirs of the Roy. Acad, at Paris, quoted in Gents. Mag., 

 vol. xxix., 1759, pp. 119-120. — MacgilIivray,"W.: Hist, of Brit. Birds, 

 vol. ii. p. 34. — Muller, J. : Researches on the comparative anatomy of 

 the vocal organs of birds. (Berlin Akad. Ahhand., 1845.) — Yarrell, W. : 

 Hist, of Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 71. 



