A SUMMER BOATING TRIP 21 



develop notes and traits of their own, and among the 

 more familiar orchard and garden birds one may 

 notice the same tendency. I observe a great variety 

 of songs, and even qualities of voice, among the orioles 

 and among the song sparrows. On this trip my ear was 

 especially attracted to some striking and original spar- 

 row songs. At one point I was half afraid I had let 

 pass an opportunity to identify a new warbler, but 

 finally concluded it was a song sparrow. On another 

 occasion I used to hear day after day a sparrow that 

 appeared to have some organic defect in its voice : part 

 of its song was scarcely above a whisper, as if the bird 

 was suffering from a very bad cold. I have heard a 

 bobolink and a hermit thrush with similar defects of 

 voice. I have heard a robin with a part of the whistle 

 of the quail in his song. It was out of time and out of 

 tune, but the robin seemed insensible of the incon- 

 gruity, and sang as loudly and as joyously as any of 

 his mates. A catbird will sometimes show a special 

 genius for mimicry, and I have known one to suggest 

 very plainly some notes of the bobolink. 



There are numerous long covered bridges spanning 

 the Delaware, and under some of these I saw the cliff 

 swallow at home, the nests being fastened to the under 

 sides of the timbers, as it were, suspended from the 

 ceiling instead of being planted upon the shelving or 

 perpendicular side, as is usual with them. To have 

 laid the foundation, indeed, to have sprung the vault 

 downward and finished it successfully, must have 

 required special engineering skill. I had never before 

 seen or heard of these nests being so placed. But birds 

 are quick to adjust their needs to the exigencies of any 

 case. Not long before, I had seen in a deserted house, 



