i8o BEACH GRASS 



rumps as they fly. Their song has an appealing 

 tone and a romantic fervor and appears to ask, 

 will-yer^ will-yer^ will-yer^ 



A true bird of the night is the screech owl and 

 his mournful serenade may often be heard in 

 my forest. The term screech owl is a misnomer 

 for he does not screech but utters a quavering, 

 mournful whistle which ends, — if one is near 

 enough to hear it, — with two or three guttural, 

 woodeny notes. Two other birds of the night fre- 

 quently announce their presence from the marshes, 

 the night heron by varied quawks and the black 

 duck by harsh quacks. 



During the migrations, especially in the fall, 

 one can hear the birds calling to each other as 

 they fly over in the night. These calls, so evi- 

 dent to a bird student, are unheard by the or- 

 dinary man. To him they are non-existent and 

 he can be brought to hear them only with con- 

 siderable difficulty. He hears the noises of the 

 street or of the countryside, the distant sound 

 of voices, bells ringing or the barking of a dog, 

 but he seems unable to concentrate his attention 

 on the lisping notes and distinctive calls, so fa- 



