BIRD SONGS. 



Anne Wakely Jackson^ Jacksonville. 



The most neglected of our senses is undoubtedly the 

 sense of smell ; but the next in order of neglect is probably 

 that of hearing. Verily, we have ears and hear not. The 

 majority of us are deaf to the more delicate and elusive 

 sounds of everyday life. We are aware of the noises, but 

 the subtle, musical sounds escape us. However, suscepti- 

 bility to agreeable sounds is not a gift, but a matter of 

 training ; and it is well worth cultivating. 



So much pleasure and interest may be gained by a culti- 

 vation of the listening habit that I would urge all to whom 

 is committed the guidance of children to do their utmost to 

 develop this habit. It is not a difficult matter. Call the 

 child's attention to each bell and whistle in his town or 

 vicinity, and teach him to distinguish one from another 

 and to name them. If he possess a musical ear he may 

 quickly learn to determine the pitch of each one. Teach 

 him to listen to the tones in running and falling water, in 

 singing wires, in all the sounds made by so-called dumb 

 animals. When his ear has become duly trained in this 

 w^ay he will hear the musical sounds above the noises, and 

 a new world of enchantment Avill be open to him. 



Bird music is one of the most fascinating departments 

 of bird study. And like all the others, it is always offering- 

 fresh delights to the student. 



Persons to whom the vocal sounds made by birds do not 

 appeal as music may be divided roughly into two classes — 

 the musically insensitive and the deaf, the latter class 

 being tlie more numerous. These practically do not hear 

 birds at all, or hear them with little or no discrimination. 

 Having been almost deaf to bird sounds myself up to the 

 time when I began to study them, it would ill become me to 

 cavil at others in a like condition of insensibility. But 

 anyone who overcomes this unnecessary limitation of the 



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