evening or clear morning. Of the three 

 species regularly given to these methods 

 of communication the distinguishing 

 points of the rapping are easily recog- 

 nized. In the downy woodpecker it is a 

 long unbroken roll or tattoo. With the 

 hairy it is a shorter and louder roll, 

 with a more distinct interval between 

 taps. With the yellow-bellied it is a 

 short roll, ending sharply with five or 

 six distinct raps. These calls seldom 

 fail to bring corresponding answer from 

 the neighboring woods or hills. 



On the question of song the division 

 of the order passes into clamatores or 

 songless and oscines or song perchers is, 

 as has been previously referred to, be- 

 cause of a difference in the development 

 of the syrinx or voice producing organ. 

 In the one case there are but two or 

 three sets of intrinsic muscles while in 

 the other there are as many as five. 



The voices of clamatores, while not 

 musical, are characteristic. The splut- 

 tering " pchings " of the kingbird,^ the 

 sharp questioning whistle " what " of 

 the great crested flycatcher, the plaintive 

 " pee-a-\vee," " peer " of the wood pee- 

 Wee, and the snappy " chebec " and 

 "cheebec tura-lur-al " of the fidgety little 

 least flycatcher are quite familiar sounds 

 in the summer woods. 



Of the vocal efforts worthy of note 

 the clear rich ringing whistle of the 

 Baltimore oriole is a welcome inspira- 

 tion of romantic freedom rung from out 

 the swinging branches of the summer 

 woods. It is a whistle easily imitated, 

 quite varied among individuals, though 

 always characteristic. This is one of 

 the birds misnamed by the early settlers, 

 as it belongs to a group, of the starling 

 tribe and is not related to the old world 

 orioles. The specific name galbula 

 means orange and black, while the 

 species is named after Lord Baltimore, 

 whose colors were orange and black. 

 Lord Baltimore is to be congratulated in 

 thus having so attractive a feathered 

 perpetuator of his name. 



What man with emotion in his nature 

 has ever listened without a responsive 

 sentiment to the ecstatic melody of that 

 " mad musician," the bobolink, as on ir- 

 repressible quivering wing he soars and 

 floats about the June meadows, pouring 

 from out the depths of his overflowing 

 heart a continuous volume of tinkling, 

 rollicking, jingling music to cheer his 

 patient mate in the grass' beneath him. 

 Yet how few are influenced by this re- 

 sponsive sentiment. 



The flute-like whistle of the meadow 



lark is in effect second only to the bobo- 

 link. Its high, clear ring, indicative of 

 wild freedom and unrestraint, has, if we 

 take it, an inspiration to our morbid 

 souls as the bagpipes to 'he Heilander. 



Of our native species one author has 

 set over a dozen songs to music. The 

 western species is much more musical 

 than the eastern, and one hesitates on 

 first hearing it to relate the rich clarion 

 to the lark. 



The musical chorus of the Lapland 

 longspurs so generally mistaken for 

 snowbirds in changed plumage, carries 

 with it a beautiful inspiration, as in 

 flocks of countless thousands they whirl 

 over the field or alight for an instant on 

 the stubble or plowing, all the while 

 pouring forth a continuous flood of 

 music closely allied in character to that 

 of the bobolink, but in a numberless 

 chorus producing a merry jingling and 

 chiming as of millions of sweet-toned 

 bells in harmony blended and which but 

 needs be heard to be appreciated. Dur- 

 ing the entire summer season the musi- 

 cal mechanism of the longspur seems to 

 be uncontrollable at morning, noon, and 

 even during the night ; eating, bathing, 

 resting or sleeping, the song continues 

 without ■ the slightest inconvenience to 

 the singer. 



Few have been privileged to hear the 

 song of the snowbird which he sings at 

 his home among the snow and ice. 

 Only on two occasions have I heard a 

 portion of it outside of my aviary, and 

 the sensation conveyed I can never for- 

 get My introduction to this musical 

 feast, however, was some years ago in 

 ray aviary. It was in May, during the 

 height of bird song. One chilly morn- 

 ing, as the first streaks of dawn crept 

 across the eastern horizon, I was awak- 

 ened by a song, the character of which 

 was new to me and it conveyed a sensa- 

 tion totally unlike anything previously 

 experienced. It was as though the un- 

 tamable spirits of the elements descend- 

 ing upon the earth had stretched their 

 haVp strings over the babbling brook and 

 struck upon them 

 their wildest and 

 sweetest strains. 



As I listened, 

 half dreaming, I 

 suddenly realized 

 that the song came 

 from my aviary- 

 Snowbird. The other birds 

 (Plectrophenax nivalis.) still slept. I cau- 

 tiously drew aside 

 the curtain, and in the corner, perched 



