188 



VOICES OF BIRDS. 



the morning, pipe unceasingly through the day, yet, at 

 the close of eve, when he retires to rest, there is no 

 obvious decay of his musical powers, or any sensible 

 effort required to continue his harmony to the last. 

 Birds of one species sing in general very like each 

 other, with different degrees of execution. Some 

 counties may produce finer songsters, but without great 

 variation in the notes. In the thrush, however, it is 

 remarkable, that there seem to be no regular notes, 

 each individual piping a voluntary of his own. Their 

 voices may always be distinguished amid the choristers 

 of the copse, yet some one performer will more partic- 

 ularly engage attention Ly a peculiar modulation or 

 tune ; and should several stations of these birds be 

 visited in the same morning, few or none probably will 

 be found to preserve the same round of notes ; what- 

 ever is uttered seeming the effusion of the moment. At 

 times a strain will break out perfectly unlike any pre- 

 ceding utterance, and we may wait a long time without 

 noticing any repetition of it. During one spring an 

 individual song-thrush, frequenting a favorite copse, 

 after a certain round of tune, trilled out most regularly 

 some notes that conveyed so clearly the words, lady- 

 bird ! lady-bird ! that every one remarked the resem- 

 blance. He survived the winter, and in the ensuing 

 season the lady-bird ! lady-bird ! was still the burden 

 of our evening song; it then ceased, and we never^ 

 heard this pretty modulation more. Though merely an 

 occasional strain, yet I have noticed it elsewhere it 

 thus appearing to be a favorite utterance. Harsh, 

 strained, and tense, as the notes of this bird are, yet 

 they are pleasing from their variety. The voice of the 

 blackbird is infinitely more mellow, but has much less 

 variety, compass, or execution ; and he too commences 

 his carols with the morning light, persevering from hour 

 to hour without effort, or any sensible faltering of voice. 

 The cuckoo wearies us throughout some long May 

 morning with the unceasing monotony of its song; and, 

 though there are others as vociferous, yet it is the only 

 bird I know that seems to suffer from the use of the 

 organs of voice. Little exertion as the few notes it 



