PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS 103 



sun. The poet who said, "I would be one with na- 

 ture," recognised the real source of inspiration. 

 And birds, being themselves in form and voice the 

 essence of nature's joy and beauty, are possessed 

 of that highest contact with the fountain of music 

 and poetry, and all other esthetic aspirations. They 

 are in body a part of nature, and their voices are 

 in tune with nature's manifold harmonies. Their 

 music is the expression of landscape, sky, and sea- 

 son, and all the emotions of man and bird that are 

 affected by them. 



Birds possess that same desire for self-expres- 

 sion that has led man to music and other arts. The 

 unheard music of the soul is striving for form and 

 expression in the arts of man, and it is equally true 

 of birds. In the depths of their little beings they 

 conceive beautiful structures of sound and form 

 and colour at least worthy to be classed with the 

 dreams of human esthetes. 



In music they develop in their throats or wings 

 the instruments of their art, and acquire their skill 

 by practice and continual study. Like true musi- 

 cians they learn from every source, and blend all 

 sounds that please them into songs of ravishing 

 beauty and sweetness. To their gifted ears there 

 is a beauty in every sound, and in reproducing it 

 they eliminate the elements of discord, and make 



