210 LOVE AND RIVALRY. 



yet these birds eventually burst out into song, each in the peculiar 

 notes of its race, so as not to be distinguished from those in a wild 

 state. 



But granting it to be the most reasonable supposition that 

 song in birds is thus instinctive and untaught, it still becomes a 

 question what may be the particular motive which incites to the 

 performance ; and on that point considerable diversity of opinion 

 prevails. The general opinion seems to be that love, and the 

 rivalry to which it prompts, are the two great stimulants to 

 which we owe the concert of sweet sounds with which the air is 

 rilled in spring and early summer. " I lay it down as a maxim 

 in ornithology," says White of Selborne, " that as long as there 

 is incubation going on there is music." Pennant advocates the 

 same view of the subject, and mentions, that as the principal 

 cares of life fall to the lot of the female bird, the male is endowed 

 with the faculty of song that he may alleviate her fatigues, and 

 cheer her with his inspiriting lays the while she is discharging 

 her parental duties. Montagu is another naturalist of eminence 

 who supports the same opinion, and he particularly instances 

 the Nightingale, which in the first place vies with its com- 

 panions, both in song and fight, to win a partner, and then ever 

 after attends her with the greatest assiduity, and constantly 

 regales her with his song. 



That rivalry amongst the males of singing birds has much to 

 do with their outbursts of song, there can be no reasonable doubt ; 

 but whether mere joyousness and gaiety of heart be not a more 

 probable motive than the special one of love may at least, we 

 think, admit of a doubt. It should be borne in mind that the 

 female bird is by no means destitute of song, although her partner 

 always greatly excels her in that accomplishment. Neither is 

 it true that song birds generally sing only during the seasons of 

 pairing and rearing the young. With the hard-billed, seed- 

 eating birds this is no doubt true, but with the soft-billed birds 

 it is far otherwise. Most of these birds leave us in the autumn 

 for the sunnier skies of the south ; although when they nre 

 detained with us in cages or aviaries, they continue in song all 

 the year. Moreover, those which remain with us the year 

 through, the Hobin and the Wren, for example, sing throughout 

 the winter, not even excepting times of severe frost, as we can 

 vouch from our own observation. 



