LANGUAGE. iva 
lar occasions in the woods.”* The humming-bird, 
indeed, is not alone in the exhibition of curiosity to 
see what is going forward when other birds are vo- 
ciferous. We recollect having our attention once 
drawn to the loud scolding of a pair of chaffinches 
in a copse, a circumstance of very frequent occur- 
rence during summer, but rendered peculiar in the 
instance in question by the birds darting down al- 
most to the roots of the bushes at some distance 
from where we stood, from which we concluded 
their scolding was not directed to us. The loud 
pink, pink, of the chaffinches soon attracted to the 
spot a crowd of their woodland neighbours, among 
whom a redbreast took the lead, followed by a 
greenbird, a songthrush, and about a dozen of the 
small summer birds (Sylviade), all brought to- 
gether by curiosity to learn what the chaffinches 
were scolding about. From all of these curiosity- 
hunters giving vent to the same expression of feel- 
ing, we concluded that some common enemy had 
made his appearance among them ; and upon look- 
ing narrowly into the bushes we perceived a pine 
martin (Martes abietum, Ray) stealing along, occa- 
sionally throwing a sly, or, rather, contemptuous 
look at his vociferous railers, but otherwise contin- 
uing a careful prying search into every hole and 
bush for a nest of eggs or young, of which he might 
make a breakfast. 
It appears, however, to be a shrewd and correct 
observation of Mr. Knapp, that the voice of one 
species of birds, except in particular cases, is not 
attended to by another species; and he instances 
the peculiar call of the female cuckoo, which resem- 
bles so many contending rivals, but excites ng at- 
tention generally, inasmuch as the dialect seems to 
be unknown to all but its own species. He adds, 
“IT know but one note which animals make use of 
* Wilson. Am. Ornith., vii., 85. 
