BIRD-SONGS. 85 
sing for joy; and their joy, of course, has vari- 
ous causes. 
For one thing, they are very sensitive to the 
weather. With them, as with us, sunlight and 
a genial warmth go to produce serenity. A 
bright summer-like day, late in October, or even 
in November, will set the smaller birds to sing- 
ing, and the grouse to drumming. I heard a 
robin venturing a little song on the 25th of last 
December ; but that, for aught I know, was a 
Christmas carol. No matter what the season, 
you will not hear agreat deal of bird music dur- 
ing a high wind; and if you are caught in the 
woods by a sudden shower in May or June, and 
are not too much taken up with thoughts of 
your own condition, you will hardly fail to no- 
tice the instant silence which falls upon the 
woods with the rain. Birds, however, are more 
or less inconsistent (that is a part of their lke- 
ness to us), and sometimes sing most freely 
when the sky is overcast. 
But their highest joys are by no means de- 
pendent upon the moods of the weather. A 
comfortable state of mind is not to be contemned, 
but beings who are capable of deep and passion- 
ate affection recognize a difference between com- 
fort and ecstasy. And the peculiar glory of 
birds is just here, in the all-consuming fervor 
of their love. It would be commonplace to call 
