ENGLISH AND AMERICAN SONG-BIRDS. 129 



because of its loud, aspirated, penetrating, unceasing, 

 jubilant quality. It cut its way to the ear like some- 

 thing exceeding swift, sharp, and copious. It over- 

 took and outran every other sound ; it had an under- 

 tone like the humming of multitudinous wheels and 

 spindles. Now and then some turn would start and 

 set off a new combination of shriller or of graver 

 notes, but all of the same precipitate, out-rushing, 

 and down-pouring character ; not, on the whole, a 

 sweet or melodious song, but a strong and blithe one. 

 The Duke is abundantly justified in saying that 

 we have no bird in this country, at least east of the 

 Mississippi, that can fill the place of the sky-lark. 

 Our high, wide, bright skies seem his proper field, 

 too. His song is a pure ecstasy, untouched by any 

 plain tiveness, or pride, or mere hilarity a well- 

 spring of morning joy and blitheness set high above 

 the fields and downs. Its effect is well suggested in 

 this stanza of Wordsworth : 



"Up with me, up with me, into the clouds ! 



For thy song, lark, is strong ; 

 Up with me, up with me, into the clouds ! 



Singing, singing, 

 With all the heavens about thee ringing, 



Lift me, guide me, till I find 

 That spot which seems so to thy mind ! " 



But judging from Gilbert White's and Barrington's 

 lists, I should say that our bird-choir was a larger 

 one, and embraced more good songsters, than the 

 British. 



White names twenty-two species of birds that sing 

 9 



