52 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



Among smaller birds than crows, the difficulties 

 lie in the fact that we cannot detect all the ut- 

 terances ; and it would not be surprising, if it 

 could be proved, that birds intentionally whisper 

 " little nothings" to those nearest to them. That 

 male birds sing to attract the attention of females 

 is undeniable, but there are other expressions of 

 their feelings and responses by the females that 

 are usually overlooked. Only at rarest intervals 

 can we witness a courtship throughout and see 

 for ourselves that birds are not mere machines, 

 soulless and unsentimental, moved by impulses 

 mysterious to themselves. I have seen a male 

 rose-breasted grosbeak bring food to its mate 

 and then, when the latter had taken it, rapidly 

 move its beak in a manner clearly showing it 

 was uttering some sound, which was quite in- 

 audible to me. I have seen the flicker stop his 

 work of cutting out a new nesting-place, and 

 sitting close by the side of his mate, the two 

 chatted, may I say? about their mutual interests, 

 and then he would resume his work of deepen- 

 ing the cavity in the tree. Great, at times, is 

 the chatter when the great crested flycatcher 

 enters the nest and tells his mate to go out and 



