Song Birds in Europe and America. 



127 



takes place late in the month of August, 

 and for several weeks previous to their 

 departure the Martins in great armies 

 resort to the willows growing on the sand- 

 bars on the opposite side of the river to 

 roost. From Mr. Widmann's description 

 it would seem that the number of birds is 

 quite beyond estimate. Previous to re- 

 tiring to their sleeping places on the twigs 

 of the willows, they sit upon the sandbars 

 until it is almost dark, and then in a body 

 take flight and disappear among the 

 shrubs. 



The voice of the Martin is not unmusical. 

 He has a cheerful twitter at all times, and 

 his note at the breeding season really 



deserves to be called a love song, it is so 

 sweet and pleasing. Its flight is easy, light 

 and graceful, differing in this respect from 

 that of the chimney swift, recently de- 

 scribed in this magazine, which seems to 

 be somewhat labored, though in reality it 

 is not so. 



The Purple Martin is from 7)4 to Sin. 

 in length and measures 16 in. across its 

 extended wings. The color of the male is 

 deep bluish-black with purplish reflec- 

 tions. The female is paler throughout, 

 and lacks the iridescence of the male, its 

 throat and breast are dark gray and the 

 other under parts lighter gray. The )'oung 

 are gray streaked with darker. 



SONG BIRDS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. 



IT has been repeatedly stated by writers 

 who have had the opportunity of mak- 

 ing the comparison that the United States 

 is very deficient in song birds as com- 

 pared with Europe — the British Islands in 

 particular. One writer even goes so far as 

 to say that "it may be safely asserted that 

 in the midland counties of England the 

 skylark alone, even in the month of March, 

 sings more songs within the hearing of 

 mankind than do all the songsters of the 

 eastern United States" — which, of course, 

 is an exaggeration. The same writer* says: 

 " It is, no doubt, very patriotic to prove 

 that the woods and fields of North America 

 are as vocal with bird song as those of 

 England. The attempt has been made, 

 but it is only necessary to cross the Atlan- 

 tic, stay a month in the British Islands, 

 and then return, taking frequent country 

 walks on both sides of the water, to be- 

 come convinced that the other side has all 

 the advantage in quantity of bird song. 

 Let us grant that the quality is equal — 



* W. H. Lockington, in The Churchman. 



though it is difificult to understand where 

 in America the peer of the nightingale can 

 be found — let us grant that the United 

 States possesses a list of song birds larger 

 than that of the British Islands — all this 

 does not prove that the quantity of bird 

 song is greater. * * * In England 

 bird voices are everywhere. The chaf- 

 finch is more abundant than the sparrow 

 save in the centers of cities, and his cheery 

 notes can be heard at all times ; the robin 

 redbreast is common in suburb and village 

 and is not chary of his voice ; and as for 

 the skylark — it is hard to go anywhere in 

 the country without hearing him. How is 

 it here ? Does any one pretend that bird 

 song is common in the suburbs of our 

 cities ? Do robins and catbirds, our most 

 plentiful singing birds, often treat us to a 

 song as we sit on the piazza of our semi- 

 detached cottage, or as we walk adown 

 the tree-lined streets ?" 



It is not stated in the article from which 

 the above is quoted where the writer's ob- 

 servations in this country were made, 



