116 BIKDS 



is in addition to their own individual song and clattering 

 of " tiny castanets " which you have so graphically 

 described. 



A. G. H. 



July 13, 1901. 



NOTE. See p. 106. 



THE SETTING DOWN OF BIKDS' SONGS 



Apropos of the interesting article on the above subject 

 in last week's Spectator, I should like to remind your 

 readers of the old French poem (I think by Charles 

 d' Orleans) imitating the lark. As I quote from memory, 

 and probably inaccurately, I shall be glad if you or any of 

 your readers to whom it may be familiar will correct the 

 misquotations, and the source, if needful : 



" La gentille alouette 

 Avec son tire-lire- a-lire 

 Bt tire-lire-a-lire 

 Tirelirant tire 

 Vers la voutre du ciel, 

 Puis son vol vers ce lieu 

 Vire 

 Et desire dire : 



Adieu Dieu 1 ' ' 



Adieu Dieu ! 



F. E. V. 



July 3, 1909. 



NOTE. Mr. G. A. Momber, in a letter following this 

 resurrection of d' Orleans 's perfect lyrical matching of 

 human with avian language, quotes : 



" The pretty lark, climbing the welkin clear, 

 Cheers with a peer ' Come here, come near, my dear,' 

 Then, flitting thence, seeming his fall to rue, 

 ' Adieu, 1 he saith, ' adieu, dear, dear, adieu.' " 



But he does not say where the song comes from, and I 

 cannot trace it. It is in the Dekker or Hey wood vein. 



