OF SELBORNE. 223 



The notes of the eagle-kind are shrill and piercing ; and 

 about the season of nidification much diversified, as I have 

 been often assured by a curious observer of Nature, who long 

 resided at Gibraltar, where eagles abound. The notes of our 

 hawks much resemble those of the king of birds. Owls have 

 very expressive notes ; they hoot in a fine vocal sound, much 

 resembling the vox humana, and reducible by a pitch-pipe to 

 a musical key. This note seems to express complacency and 

 rivalry among the males : they use also a quick call and an 

 horrible scream ; and can snore and hiss when they mean to 

 menace.* Ravens, besides their loud croak, can exert a deep 

 and solemn note that makes the woods to echo ; the amorous 

 sound of a crow is strange and ridiculous ; rooks, in the breed- 

 ing season, attempt sometimes in the gaiety of their hearts to 

 sing, but with no great success ; the parrot-kind have many 

 modulations of voice, as appears by their aptitude to leani 

 human sounds ; doves coo in an amorous and mournful manner, 

 and are emblems of despairing lovers ; the woodpecker sets up 

 a sort of loud and hearty laugh ; the fern-owl, or goat-sucker, 

 from the dusk till day-break, serenades his mate with the clat- 

 tering of castanets. All the tuneful passeres express their 

 complacency by sweet modulations, and a variety of melody. 

 The swallow, as has been observed in a former letter, by a 

 shrill alarm bespeaks the attention of the other hirundines, and 

 bids them be aware that the hawk is at hand. Aquatic and gre- 

 garious birds, especially the nocturnal, that shift their quarters 

 in the dark, are very noisy and loquacious ; as cranes, wild- 

 geeese, wild-ducks, and the like ; their perpetual clamour pre- 

 vents them from dispersing and losing their companions. 



In so extensive a subject, sketches and outlines are as much 

 as can be expected ; for it would be endless to instance in all 

 the infinite variety of the feathered nation. We shall there- 

 fore confine the remainder of this letter to the few domestic 

 fowls of our yards, which are most known, and therefore best 

 understood. At first the peacock, with his gorgeous train de- 

 mands our attention ; but, like most of the gaudy birds, his 

 * [White here appears to confound the notes of the brown and the 

 barn owl. See Letter XV. to Barrington. T. B.] 



