MINOR SONGSTERS. 



AMONG those of us who are in the habit of 

 attending to bird-songs, there can hardly be 

 anybody, I think, who has not found himself 

 specially and permanently attracted by the mu- 

 sic of certain birds who have little or no gen- 

 eral reputation. Our favoritism may perhaps 

 be the result of early associations : we heard the 

 singer first in some uncommonly romantic spot, 

 or when we were in a mood of unusual sensibil- 

 ity ; and, in greater or less degree, the charm of 

 that hour is always renewed for us with the 

 repetition of the song. Or it may be (who will 

 assert the contrary ?) that there is some occult 

 relation between the bird's mind and our own. 

 Or, once more, something may be due to the nat- 

 ural pleasure which amiable people take (and 

 all lovers of birds may be supposed, a priori, to 

 belong to that class) in paying peculiar honor 

 to merit which the world at large, less discrimi- 

 nating than they, has thus far failed to recog- 

 nize, and in which, therefore, as by " right of 



