ioo Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



this, the impression of a thrush's supremacy is 

 changed. But such is not the only song of this 

 superb singer. When in a meditative mood 

 this grosbeak has a song that we fancy is retro- 

 spective, so far as the singer is concerned. It is 

 pitched in so low a key that we must be near to 

 hear it, and while we listen and watch the bird 

 the thought comes to us that now the grosbeak 

 is studying some new effort, one of transcendent 

 merit, and it is no wonder that we do, for this 

 low, meditative strain is one of incomparable 

 sweetness, as if the soul of a flute murmured in 

 its dreams. 



In all such outings we are too apt to ignore 

 the minor minstrelsy that goes so far to perfect a 

 summer morning. By actual count, I recently 

 heard singing at the same time, or so nearly so 

 as to give that impression, fifteen species of 

 birds, and there are several others that I have 

 found nesting within a comparatively short dis- 

 tance. Not all of these are accounted song- 

 birds, that is, musical in a marked degree, but 

 their efforts, heard with others, go to make up 

 a chorus that is inspiriting, that makes you be- 

 lieve in cheerfulness as a gift of great value. 



