MAY MUSES 117 



woodwren ; but we must not therefore conclude 

 that it is the inspiring emotion in all bird-song, as 

 so many poets and kindly observers would suggest ; 

 on the contrary, birds may make very pleasant 

 sounds when perpetrating some very unkind deeds. 

 There are many of their cries which seem to have 

 no especial meaning, either of love or defiance, 

 such, for instance, as the cooing of a dove a 

 soothing, love-like note which, like the ordinary 

 chirping of a sparrow, or the fuller strain of a 

 bunting, may charitably be ascribed to the ten- 

 derer emotion. In a few cases the combativeness 

 of a bird is well suggested by its cry ; as may be 

 noticed in the common fowl, whose crowing is as 

 defiant as a bugle blast. The shriek of the wood- 

 land jay, also, is very expressive. These sounds, 

 however, do not represent the greatest intensity of 

 vindictiveness ; to hear such, we must listen to 

 fighting birds ; and then, sometimes, we shall hear 

 them sing sweetly ! If they were merely engaging 

 in a contest of musical ability, we might still credit 

 them with some sort of gentleness expressed in 

 song ; but when we see the rivals make fierce 

 onslaughts upon each other, pecking vigorously at 



