18 THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 



obvious as that of the magnolia ; neverthe- 

 less, there is actual inflorescence. 



Few writers award any song to that fa- 

 miliar little sparrow, the Socialis ; yet who 

 that has observed him sitting by the way- 

 side, and repeating, with devout attitude, 

 that fine sliding chant, does not recognize 

 the neglect ? Who has heard the snowbird 

 sing? Yet he has a lisping warble very sa- 

 vory to the ear. I have heard him indulge 

 in it even in February. 



Even the cow-bunting feels the musical 

 tendency, and aspires to its expression, with 

 the rest. Perched upon the topmost branch, 

 beside his mate or mates, for he is quite a 

 polygamist and usually has two or three de- 

 mure little ladies in faded black beside him, 

 generally in the early part of the day, he 

 seems literally to vomit up his notes. Ap- 

 parently with much labor and effort, they 

 gurgle and blubber up out of him, falling on 

 the ear with a peculiar subtile ring, as of 

 turning water from a glass bottle, and not 

 without a certain pleasing cadence. 



Neither is the common woodpecker en- 

 tirely insensible to the wooing of the spring, 

 and, like the partridge, testifies his apprecia- 

 tion of melody after quite a primitive fash- 



