ORGANS OF VOICE. 61 



quite dead : and, upon examination, discovered that it had 

 actually broken a blood-vessel by its exertions, and thus 

 perished. 



That the notes and cries of birds serve them instead of 

 language, there can be little doubt ; one person indeed is 

 on record, who having passed much of his time in boyhood 

 alone, in lonely situations, had by close attention acquired 

 such a knowledge of this language, that from the song of the 

 parents he knew where the nests were situated, whether 

 they contained eggs, or whether the brood was hatched, 

 knowing even the number of young birds, and their age, 

 before he saw them.^ In fact, a common observer may, in 

 some instances, understand their different notes, and all 

 their different wants and emotions, as well as the birds 

 themselves do. 



Thus, while walking in a wood, if we happen to get sight 

 of a flock of Jays before they chance to notice our approach- 

 ing, they will be seen enjoying themselves, and chattering in 

 seeming confusion. Suddenly, one will be heard to utter a 

 peculiar short deeper-toned note, when in an instant all is 

 silent, and they may be seen skulking off one by one, only 

 to be heard again when they have sheltered themselves at a 

 considerable distance. Crows and Fieldfares, with many 

 others of what are called congregating birds, or those that 

 live together, act in the same manner. Every sportsman 

 knows how difficult it is to get within gunshot of a large 

 flock of these birds, though they appear to be so busily em- 

 ployed in picking up their food in a meadow, that it might 

 be supposed they saw nothing else. 



The fact is, they very often do see nothing, and think of 

 nothing, beyond the food they are in search of; because, on 

 the bough of some neighbouring tree, a good look-out is 

 kept by one of the party, and the moment the sentinel 

 Crow, or Rook, gives out his well-known caw of alarm, or 

 the Fieldfare its peculiar jarring cry, away go the main 

 body beyond the reach of the fowler, who thought he could 



* See Quarterly Review, on Lord Holland's Life of Lope de Vega; 

 vol. xviii., p. 36. 



