BLACKBIRDS 261 



my umbrella behind the pitch pines, and there feed 

 silently ; then, getting uneasy or anxious, they fly up on 

 to an apple tree, where being reassured, commences a 

 rich but deafening concert, o-gurgle-ee-e^ o-gurgle-ee-e^ 

 some of the most liquid notes ever heard, as if pro- 

 duced by some of the water of the Pierian spring, flow- 

 ing through some kind of musical water-pipe and at the 

 same time setting in motion a multitude of fine vibrat- 

 ing metallic springs. Like a shepherd merely meditat- 

 ing most enrapturing glees on such a water-pipe, A 

 more liquid bagpipe or clarionet, immersed like bubbles 

 in a thousand sprayey notes, the bubbles half lost in 

 the spray. When I show myself, away they go with a 

 loud harsh charr-r, charr-r. At first I had heard an in- 

 undation of blackbirds approaching, some beating time 

 with a loud chuck, chuck, while the rest played a hur- 

 ried, gurgling fugue. 



June 11, 1853. Probably blackbirds were never less 

 numerous along our river than in these years. They do 

 not depend on the clearing of the woods and the culti- 

 vation of orchards, etc. Streams and meadows, in which 

 they delight, always existed. Most of the towns, soon 

 after they were settled, were obliged to set a price upon 

 their heads. In 1672, according to the town records of 

 Concord, instruction was given to the selectmen, " That 

 incorigment be given for the destroying of blackbirds 

 and jaies." (Shattuck,^ page 45.) 



April 3, 1856. Hear also squeaking notes of an ad- 

 vancing flock of red-wings,^ somewhere high in the sky. 



1 [Lemuel Shattuck'a History of Concord.] 



^ Or grackles ; am uncertain which makes that squeak. 



