7^ SYLVAN SECRETS. 



snakes exhibit great satisfaction in finding a 

 cosey nook for themselves in human habita- 

 tions. I once had a toad friend who fattened 

 to enormous size at my expense, and I had 

 ample opportunity to note the growth (quite 

 apace with his corporeal expansion) of his af- 

 fection for me. He sought my acquaintance 

 and cultivated my friendship of his own mo- 

 tion, evidently taking it for granted that I 

 could not fail to feel highly honored bj^ his 

 attentions. Birds have made their love for 

 man so well known that I need offer no in- 

 stances. A few words in the way of sugges- 

 tion, however, may not be amiss, with a view 

 to leading up to a consideration of the origin of 

 the song-impulse in birds. Genuine song, or, 

 rather, music-making, is within the power of 

 comparatively few of the avian family ; but 

 we" may consider such birds as the meadow- 

 lark, the bluebird, and the blue-jay, that can 

 utter a bar of two or three sweet notes, song- 

 birds for all the purposes we have in view, 

 and from these lowly and slightly gifted ones 

 we may pass up along the line to such musical 

 prodigies as the nightingale and the mocking- 

 bird. 



Pious minds, influenced by the charm of 

 spring, long ago came to the conclusion that 

 song-birds were ecstatic worshippers of Deity, 

 and that all their pipings were conscious 

 praise-offerings. At the other extreme, the 

 scientists have referred bird-song to erotic 

 impulses when in the spring the wild-bird's 

 fancy 



" Lightly turns to thoughts of love." 



What shall we say of the caged bird that 

 sings in a broken and sketchy way the whole 

 year round? Does captivity engender per- 



