153 



THE OOLOGIST. 



stance the male tuned up and sanj? as 

 sweetly as ever. 



The species of birds that sing when 

 flying are very few. Of the many birds 

 which utter simple sounds on the wing 

 I am not speaking, for they are in large 

 numbers. If we consider notes of 

 birds an expression of sentimen^, then 

 all sounds may be called songs, espec- 

 ially may this be considered true of 

 spring notes. Admitting this, -then 

 there are over one hundred species 

 which sing as they fly. 



All of the hawks and other rapacious 

 birds that I am acquainted with, utter 

 their discordant crie^ and screams when 

 upon the wing; the Red shouldered, 

 Marsh and Cooper's Hawks and the 

 Screech and Barred Owls being espec- 

 ially noisy in season. All of the herons 

 utte^ their gutteral notes when on the 

 wing, although the more difiicult notes 

 of the greater bittern are not given on 

 the wing. The smaller waders give ut- 

 terance as they fly, and most of the 

 ducks have bee a heard, while the geese 

 are notorious gabblers during migra- 

 \/^ tions. Sandhill Cranes issue their notes 

 as they sail, sometimes out of sight. 

 Nighthawks make their only efforts 

 while on the wing, as we should expect 

 with a species which earns its entire 

 living while flying. Its near relative, 

 the Whippoorwill sometimes flies sing- 

 ing through the woods in spring. 



The woodpeckers are a noisy set, and 

 without an exception issue the clatter 

 which answers in the nature of a re- 

 frain, on the wing. All hunters have 

 heard the "scape" of the Wilson's 

 Snipe, the single note of the flying 

 Woodcock and the agreeable efforts of 

 the Killdeer Plover, Spotted Sandpiper 

 and the Upland Plover, the latter real- 

 ly musical, and many others of the 

 smaller waders. 



In the RASORES or scratchers we have 

 a silent list of birds when flying, though 

 the Mourning Dove, Bobwhite and 

 some others are noisy on the perch. 



According to classification, the true 

 singers are confined within the division 

 osciNES while all others are considered 

 non-musical according to this arbitrary 

 rule. This system, constructed from 

 anatomical relations, cannot admit the 

 sweet refrain of the Wood Pewee as a 

 song, as the Pewee belongs to the 

 screamers, and of a necessity this is 

 unfair. 



Among the birds which are acknowl- 

 edged singers the following seven mus- 

 ical species are presented as birds 

 which I have heard sing while flying. 

 The Bobolink is the acknowledged 

 leader in flight song, in fact his rollick- 

 ing, jingling medley is about equal in 

 excellence with any bird with which I 

 am acquainted. The common Bluebird 

 is a charming exponent of flight sing- 

 ing. It occasionally flutters upward 

 and pours forth its soft warble in a 

 most enchanting manner just after ar- 

 riving from the south. ' 



The Warbling Vireo, rarely, in a k^ 

 transport of bliss, during the mating 

 season, launches into the air while yet 

 singing, and apparently forgetful of 

 custom, strives to make us, mundane 

 creatures, as happy as itself. This 

 agreeable songster is one of my favor- 

 ites, and no one who is a lover of bird 

 melody can remain indifferent to its 

 ecstatic warblings. 



In May and June we sometimes hear 

 the loud gushing song of the Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak as the gaudy male y 

 flits through the foliage near his pro- 

 spective home. Even with this undig- 

 nified flyer, who generally progresses 

 by undulating, vigorous dashes, we can 

 detect a hesitating flutter when the bird 

 sings on the wing, 



Morris gibbs, M. D. 

 Kalamazoo, M'ch. 

 ( To be continued ) 



