VOICE OF BIKDS.] 



UNDULATOKY FORCES. ACOUSTICS. 



293 



obliquely in the air, with a fluttering motion, and 

 continues it till it has attained its highest elevation, 

 which not unfrequeutly is such as to render the bird 

 scarcely perceptible. Even then, as remarked by a dis- 

 tinguished naturalist, if the weather be calm, its warble 

 can be heard coming faintly on the ear at intervals. 

 The lark is also a bird of singular capacity ; the young 

 learn the notes of any other bird which hangs near them 

 in confinement ; and some full-grown birds are observed 

 to possess a like facility. There is, however, a con- 

 siderable difference among larks in the strength and 

 melodiousness of the note. In confinement, some larks 

 begin to sing as early as November, and go on singing 

 until moulting time ; others begin in March, and cease 

 as early as August. In the wUd state their period of 

 singing is much shortened. 



The woodlark is considerably less than the skylark ; 

 but, of all the larks, it Is the sweetest songster. Its voice 

 has all the melody of the flute, marked at times by 

 a tender, and even somewhat melancholy strain. It 

 sings sometimes in the air, sometimes on the top of a 

 tree. When singing in the air, it is frequently seen 

 flying in large, irregular circles. The woodlark sings 

 late in the evening, so as sometimes to be mistaken for 

 the nightingale. The female woodlark, like the female 

 of larks in general, is not destitute of song ; but all that 

 it can reach is a few strophes, which are mucli in- 

 ! rrupted. 



The thrush has a clear and beautiful song. On the 



s of the highest trees it welcomes the approach of 



i,', and sings throughout the whole summer, es- 



illy in the morning dawn, and the evening twilight. 



It is kept in a cage by bird-fanciers, whence often on a 



morning, even as early as February, it will delight a 



whole street, by its pleasing song, outside the windoiv, 



or even inside, provided the window be a little open. 



The thrush, in its wild state, is fond of bathing. In 



September and October they are often caught at the 



places where they water, before sunrise and after sunset, 



and even so lato that they cannot be seen, but are only 



heard. At the time of bathing they have a peculiar 



call -note. When a thrush finds water, or when it is 



living towards a known watering-place, it pipes loudly 



*ik, ilk, sik, aiki, tsok, tsok! and immediately all the 



thrushes in the neighbourhood reply, and come on. 



The blackbird has a song rich in melody, containing 

 some deep notes, like those of the nightingale, yet V&lled 

 with some which are unpleasantly harsh. When at 

 liberty, it sings from March to July, particularly at n 

 In the cage it sings throughout tin; whole year, except 

 .it moulting time. Its note is pure, distinct, and clear. 

 It has a good memory, and will learn several airs or 

 melodies without confusing them. It is oven able to 

 imitate words. 



The nightingale, by the fineness of its voice, surpasses 

 every other bird. The variety and peculiarity of its 

 tones express its varying emotions. When the male 

 is alone, its most significant note is the pipe-note witt. 

 But if the harsh syllable, krr, be added, it forms the 

 call of the male to the female. To express anger or fear, 

 the note witt is repeated with great loudness and rapidity 

 before the termination krr is added. When happy and 

 contented, the nightingale utters a deep tack. Under 

 the excitement of anger, jealousy, or alarm, the nightin- 

 gale utters an unpleasant shrieking tone, which re- 

 sembles the cry of the jay. When they sport and chase 

 each other, which they frequently do in pairing-time, 

 they utter a very short chirping sound. Such notes 

 belong to both sexes ; but the power and the brilliancy 

 of its song distinguishes the male. Its vocal organ is 

 of striking power; the muscles of its throat are more 

 robust than those of any other singing bird. Besides 

 the strength of its voice, th : nightingale is remarkable 

 for the force, the agreeable transitions, and the beau- 

 tiful harmony of its song. Commencing softly, it 

 warbles for a moment a succession of low melancholy 

 i".'tes, which gradually increase in strength, and at last 

 die away upon the ear. A variety of sharp notes follows, 

 and then are uttered numerous hurried sharp notes, 



intermingled with some detached ascending notes, with 

 which it generally closes its strain. In the song of a 

 fine nightingale, without reference to slighter variations, 

 there are at least four-aud-twenty different strains. 



Among the sparrow and finch tribes there are many 

 much-prized singing birds. 



The bullfinch has naturally a harsh, creaking tone ; 

 but young birds learn all kinds of songs, airs, and 

 melodies. If it be desired that a bullfinch should sing 

 perfectly, it ought never to be taught more than one 

 melody, in addition to the fanfare, which is always 

 added by way of surplus. 



The chaffinch has a variety of notes expressive of its 

 wants and desires. There is one delicate note, expressed 

 treef, tree/, by which it appears to remark a change of 

 temperature. The call-note, which it uses chiefly on its 

 migration, is a repeated yack, yack. A spontaneous 

 sound appears to be jink, Jink, which it reiterates, and 

 from which perhaps the root of its name is derived. 

 More remarkable than these notes is its clear and trilling 

 song ; as approaching more to distinct articulation, 

 it is termed a quaver. Each bird lias one, two, three, 

 and often as many as four different songs, each of 

 which lasts a couple of seconds, and consists of several 

 strophes. * 



The linnet has a very remarkable, loud, and flute-like 

 song, consisting of many connected strophes ; which is 

 the more beautiful the oftener it utters some high- 

 sounding notes, which are termed its crowing, from the 

 resemblance to the crowing of a cock. From its natural 

 flute-like voice, this bird surpasses all others in its capa- 

 city for imitating melodies in a beautiful and pure style. 

 A young linnet, taught by a nightingale, has an exceed- 

 ingly pleasing song. 



The goldfinch has a shrill, agreeable song, heard dur- 

 ing all seasons, except at the period of moulting. It 

 contains many warbling and twittering notes, on which 

 it dwells more or less ; and the oftener the syllable jink 

 is repeated, the more it is admired. Some birds utter 

 these notes only once or twice in their song ; while others 

 give them forth four or five times in succession. The 

 goldfinch does not acquire the song of other birds with 

 so much ease as the linnet and the canary. 



The canary is distinguished by correctness of ear ; by 

 the remarkable skill it possesses of imitating all tones; 

 and by an excellent memory. While uuiaries imitate 

 the notes of other birds, they mix them with their own, 

 so as greatly to improve the song. In different coun- 

 tries, canaries exhibit a different character of melody. 

 Those birds which intermix in their melodies 8e\ 

 strophes of the song of the nightingale, are called Tyro- 

 lese canaries. The English canaries, on the contrary, 

 imitate the song of the lark. 



Even birds of prey often exhibit no small extent of 

 voice. The kestrel has a bell-like, ringing voice kli, l;li, 

 A/I. which he often repeats in rapid succession. The 

 white owl utters a plaintive cry, which, by the super- 

 stitious, has been regarded as a sign of death. The 

 raven h;is a hoarse croak, resembling the syllable cn>ck 

 or cruck; but it also utters a note not unlike the sound 

 of a sudden gulp, or the syllable chick, which it seems 

 to utter when in a sportive mood. The rooks have a 

 considerable variety of sounds. Their chief cry re- 

 sembles the syllable khrati, more or less harsh or soft, 

 according to occasion. There is great diversity in the 

 voice of individuals ; the notes of some being much louder 

 and clearer than those of others. Their cries, sepa- 

 rately, are monotonous and disagreeable ; yet, when at 

 some distance, and uttered by a large flock, they become 

 by no means unpleasant. Mr. M'Gillivray describes the 

 sounds proceeding from a rookery at night, as consisting 

 of a variety of soft, clear, modulated notes, very unlike 

 their usual cry. He regarded these sounds as expressive 

 of affection, and was persuaded that the mothers were 

 fondling and coaxing the newly-hatched young. 



The jackdaw is extremely clamorous, with a loud and 



Those who desire a particular account of the dinVront Ronsrn of tha 

 ehatfinL-b, may consult Chamber Ilirds, by BcchttlftQ; tratwl.ilfd from Hit. 1 

 (i.T.iiin by Mr. Shuckard : London, ISIS. 



