THE REDWING. 49' 



two ago, I think I heard one in its full perfection. 

 It (lid not see me, and it was alone, away from 

 its companions, and piping forth with the utmost 

 glee and spirit. Its notes Averc low and soft, some 

 of them very sweet ; and it now and then intro- 

 duced a few that Avere loud and pleasing ; but 

 altogetlier its song is by no means equal to that 

 of the mavis. The redwing, in short, is not a 

 bird worth confining for tlie mere sake of its 

 music." 



The smaller birds, in general, acquire each 

 season their song by degi-ees, though this is less 

 the case with the thrush tribe than with any 

 other; as the missel-thrush and mavis sing as 

 loudly and fully in November as in March; and 

 the flute-like tones of the blackbird are as me- 

 lodious amid tlie cold w^inds of early spring, as in 

 the warm and pleasant month of April. Young 

 birds of the singing species may, however, be 

 heard practising their song even before leaving 

 the nest. This practising is by bird-fanciers 

 called recording, apparently from the musical 

 instrument formerly in use in England, termed 

 a recorder, which is thought to have been a kind 

 of flute, and may have been used to teach young 

 £ 



