186 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



stating, that, after investigating the subject with 

 considerable attention for many years, we have 

 come to the conclusion that the notes of birds which 

 are denominated singing, may all be referred to hi- 

 larity and joy, or to rivalry and defiance, rather than 

 to imitation or to love, as has been maintained by 

 some naturalists of celebrity. Mr. Pennant gives 

 the following view of the matter : 



" It may be worthy," lie says, " of observation, 

 that the female of no species of birds ever sings ; 

 with birds it is the reverse of what occurs in human 

 kind ; among the feathered tribe, all the cares of life 

 fall to the lot of the tender sex : theirs is the fatigue 

 of incubation, and the principal share in nursing the 

 helpless brood : to alleviate these fatigues, and to 

 support her under them, nature hath given to the 

 male the song, with all the little blandishments and 

 soothing arts; these he fondly exerts (even after 

 courtship), on some spray contiguous to the nest, 

 during the time his mate is performing her parental 

 duties. To these we may add a few particulars 

 that fell within our notice during our inquiries among 

 the birdcatchers, such as, that they immediately 

 kill the hens of every species of birds they take, 

 being incapable of singing."* 



Buffbn makes the qualified statement that "the 

 females are much more silent than the males, song 

 being generally withheld from them ;" probably 

 resting on the authority of Lord Bacon, who says 

 "that male birds, among singing birds, are ever the 

 better singers." The latter again most likely fol- 

 lowed Aristotle, who says, "some males sing like 

 their females, as appears among nightingales, but 

 the female gives over song when she hatches." 

 Daines Barrington, assuming it as a fact that females 

 never sing, proceeds to divine the reason thereof, 

 inferring it to be because it might betray their nest 



* Brit. Zool, ii., 335. 



