SPEING ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS. 33 



both in full song. Their flight was at first downward and 

 very rapid, but when within a few feet of the earth 

 they began to ascend, first one above, then the other, 

 up, up, as we may suppose the skylarks mount, all the 

 time singing so loud and with such vehement fervor 

 that the whole field seemed filled with melody. It was 

 a trial of flight as well as of song ; of speed and physi- 

 cal endurance as well as of musical capabilities. The 

 cause was soon manifest. A female sat demurely in the 

 tree from which the others flew, evidently the prize for 

 which so glorious a contest was carried on. When the 

 two rivals came again in sight she joined them, and the 

 three flew to another part of the field. The result to 

 me was unknown, but the contest of flight and of song — 

 how much better weapons than pistols or slander or 

 gold! I am satisfied that in singing these different 

 themes the birds have a particular object in view, for 

 birds as well as inen are actuated by motive. Those 

 mentioned first, the quiet warblings, are not to attract 

 attention, but for the singer's own gratification. The 

 second, one judges from the conspicuous position of the 

 birds, are given to attract others of the family, probably 

 in most cases the females, while the songs uttered on 

 the wing are generally the contests of rivals. 



The male purple finch in full plumage is very attract- 

 ive in appearance, having much crimson on the head, 

 shoulders and throat, and considerable paler red on dif- 

 ferent parts of the body. Burroughs says : "It looks 

 as though it had been dipped in cokeberry juice," but 

 the color is too light for that and not uniformly enough 



