CHAPTER XIV 



Bird Music 



To those who delight in bird music it appears strange 

 that there should be many persons who are quite 

 indifferent 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 and masses of sound ; the piano 

 is a universal favourite, and the more thunder you 

 get out of it the better it is liked. 



In this as in other things our gain is our loss ; if in 

 human music the sweetest, most delicate instrumental 

 sounds cease to please, or even to be tolerable, on 

 account of their small volume, how could the very 

 best of the natural music of birds delight us — the small 

 exquisite strains emitted by the wagtails and pipits, 



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