Midsummer Night Sounds 



What was it that sound so like the angry, 

 petulant scream of a heat-vexed, half-sick 

 child ? It was only a tree-toad's night cry, 

 rough, harsh, and penetrating. You will 

 seldom hear the sound except on a hot sum 

 mer night; but once heard, you can never 

 forget it. I know of nothing quite so harsh 

 and disagreeable among all the voices of the 

 wild creatures. It makes a heavy, sultry 

 summer night seem all the more unendur 

 able. 



Perhaps there comes up to your window, 

 on some warm midsummer night, a thin, 

 quavering, plaintive, long-drawn whimper. 

 "What is that?" you ask. That is the cry 

 of the predatory skunk. You will hear it 

 in any locality where there is a hen-roost. 

 That short-legged night-thief is on his cus 

 tomary rounds, and the chances are that he 

 will pounce upon somebody's pet chicken 

 before morning. Why he should announce 

 his coming by that tremulous cry I do not 

 know ; but it is certainly a sweet and melan 

 choly night-sound. There is something al 

 most winningly pathetic about it. 



The raccoon has a similar night-cry, only 

 louder and not quite so tremulous. You 



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