THE SPARROW KIND. 249 



after a long struggle, the loudest shall entirely 

 silence the other. During these contentions, the 

 female sits an attentive silent auditor, and often 

 rewards the loudest songster with her company 

 during the season. 



Singing among birds is almost universally the 

 prerogative of the male. With them it is the 

 reverse of what occurs in the human kind. Among 

 the feathered tribe, the heaviest cares of life fall 

 to the lot of the female. Hers is the fatigue of 

 incubation, and to her devolves the principal fa- 

 tigue of nursing the helpless brood. To alleviate 

 these fatigues, and to support her under them, 

 nature has given the song to the male. This 

 serves as a note of blandishment at first to attract 

 her affections ; it serves as a note to delight her 

 during the time of her incubation ; but it serves 

 still farther as a note of security, to assure her 

 that no danger threatens to molest her. The 

 male, while his mate is hatching, sits upon some 

 neighbouring tree, continuing at once to watch 

 and to sing. While his voice is heard, the female 

 rests in confident security ; and, as the poet ex- 

 presses it, appears most blessed, when most un- 

 seen; but if any appearance of danger offers to 

 intrude, the male, that a moment before was so 

 loud and sportive, stops all of a sudden j and this 

 is a most certain signal to his mate to provide for 

 her own security. 



The nest of little birds seems to be of a more 

 delicate contrivance than that of the larger kinds. 

 As the volume of their bodies is smaller, the ma- 

 terials of which their nests are composed are ge- 



