640 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



wick wick wick wick" when endeavoring to drive an enemy 

 from their young. The half smothered and broken "chi— rp" 

 of the young bird just out of the nest and asking for food is 

 well known, and also the gasping, pleading call of mortal 

 agony uttered by a young Robin in the cat's clutches, which 

 will draw every Robin in the neighborhood to make belliger- 

 ent dashes at the enemy and utter angry cries, for the Robins 

 are good fighters and ever ready to aid one another when need 

 arises. There are other variations of the calls given, including 

 a rather anxiously uttered "perk, perk, perk" or "perky, perky," 

 which may indicate either satisfaction or alarm, according to 

 the tone in which it is uttered. 



Of songs the Robin has several. The well known "cheer-up, 

 cheer-up" is uttered more generally in early spring soon after 

 their arrival, though sang somewhat throughout the summer. 

 Then comes the well known rain song which has certain general 

 characteristics, but which is uttered quite variously by different 

 individuals. One bird which I studied quite often usually sang 

 so that his notes with a slight effort of imagination might be 

 easily put in the following words " We zaeep, ive tceep, the rain, 

 the rain, it comes, it comes, zee zceep, ive zaeep, it is, it is, the 

 rain, the rain, so soon, so soon, sorrow, sorrozo, the rain, the 

 rain, it comes, it comes, zve drozvn, ive drozvn, so soon, so soon, 

 the rain, the rain, it comes, it comes''"' etc. The rain song is 

 uttered over and over for more or less extended periods, 

 some birds repeating the same syllables over and over, others 

 elaborating more extensively, but the general sadness and the 

 slow, moderate utterance so characterize the "rain song" that 

 it is unmistakable. 



There is also a low, softly uttered, ventriloquial song which 

 is uttered in a mere undertone and scarcely traceable to its 

 source, seeming to come from almost everywhere but the spot 

 where the singer is finally located in some tree. Another song 

 uttered with a succession of quick warbles is interpreted by 

 one of my neighbors in the words "Kill-em, cure-em, give-em 



