AUTUMN VISITORS. 



147 



tain manner heard in a young canary just beginning to 

 sing, often at first so little like his kind that it would 

 not be recognized without the surroundings ; and so it 

 will continue, sometimes for hours, the pleasantest little 

 singing school imaginable. I have often heard the songs 

 of these little birds in the fall, and thought that I was 

 listening to a strange species, until I saw the parent bird 

 near by. 



When young and old of different species are thus 

 practicing in close proximity, the young of one will 

 often catch the tone and warble of another, and in this 

 way may the anomalous notes of many birds be ac- 

 counted for ; such instances as I have previously noticed, 

 in which the sparrows, in certain parts of their songs, 

 utter the exact notes of the cheewink or towhee, and 

 one of the creepers, the sweet whistle of the titmouse. 

 A robin will sometimes sing the entire strain of the 

 oriole, uniting the clearer, higher notes of the latter 

 with the sweeter, mellower and more extended song of 

 his own. 



The larks still remain in full force, and their shrill 

 notes go up from many a brown meadoAV and yellow 

 stubblefield. They are among the earliest birds in 

 spring, and are in no hurry to leave in autumn ; it seems 

 a pity that these beautiful birds, so rich in plumage and 

 graceful in form, are not endowed with more melodious 

 tones, as, like some boys, they are forever whistling, 

 piercing your ears when you are listening for sweeter 

 and more delicate sounds. 



