NOTE AND SONG OF THE BIRDS. 439 



rapidly moving its bill along the quills of its wing-feathers, pro- 

 duces a noise which must strike any one who hears it for the first 

 time ; this it repeats frequently. Whenever perched on a branch, 

 it indulges in a chattering which imitates, even to deception, the 

 mewing of a cat, the light laughter of children, the cackling of 

 hens, the whistling of man, &c. It is a treat, surrounded by a 

 few of these birds, to listen to the different modulations into 

 which they are capable of inflecting their voice. 



