"THESE ARE YOUR BROTHERS." 213 



have studied it very closely. I notice that all 

 the birds understand certain sounds made by 

 any one of them, even by sparrows outside, 

 a cry of distress, any excitement, calls for food, 

 and especially an expression of dislike for an- 

 other's song ; but I have never seen any ap- 

 pearance of talk except between those of the 

 same family. Two goldfinches keep up a con- 

 tinual chatter, with distinctly different tones 

 for different occasions, as when a fly alights on 

 the window near them, or a neighboring bird 

 makes any uncommon movement. They never 

 talk at the same time, although they often sing 

 together, and one is much more talkative than 

 the other. Sometimes their notes are low and 

 their manner indifferent, as if the talk were 

 mere desultory chat ; but if anything occurs of 

 interest in their small world the tones become 

 animated, and in times of excitement their 

 voices are raised almost to shrieks. After a 

 quarrel, moreover, there is no more exchange 

 of opinion for a long time. Further than this, 

 I have experimented by taking one from the 

 room, when invariably all talk ceased. I have 

 never known one to make the peculiar sounds I 

 have called " talk " when the other was not in 

 the room. Robins notoriously talk together, 

 and when one intrudes upon their neighbor- 

 hood he can almost translate into English their 



