Notes from Field and Study 



293 



that perfect morning. It must ha'.'C been 

 a sense of this that kept our talk within 

 few" words, uttered softly, as though loud 

 speech would ha\'e broken an enthralling 

 charm.. But we were to be shown that 

 not all sounds are at variance with June's 

 best showing. From somewhere among 

 the leaves overhead came the notes of a 

 Song Sparrow. The melody was repeated 

 o^•er and over, as something too good to 

 be given only once. No intrusion upon 

 June's perfect harmon}-. No discord. 

 Rather it was a fit musical setting for the 

 beauty around us. After the singer 

 stopped there was a pause long enough to 

 make us believe he had flown away, when 

 the song was renewed. But how different I 

 The arrangement of tiie notes was entireh' 

 new. At first we thought the bird must 

 have gone and another Sparrow taken 

 his place, though the song seemed to 

 come from the same position in the tree. 



We arose and walked about, peering 

 up through the branches. There he sat 

 at the top of a dead bough, with head 

 pointing upward as though offering the 

 best that was in him to the skies. A song 

 ■of sunrise, a song that goes with moods of 

 serene jo}' and hope. Let evening take 

 the Wood Thrush, the \'eery and the 

 Hermit Thrush. Our little brown bird 

 : : the melodist of the day new-born. 



Again he stopped. We watched to see 

 whether he might fly away. It began to 

 dawn upon us that the period of silence 

 meant more than a mere cessation of the 

 muac. We were on the alert for the 

 renewed song^ and this time there would 

 be no doubt of the identity of the singer, 

 Pre&enth- the head pointed skyward 

 again and the notes floated down to us. 

 An entirely different song again — differ- 

 ■eat from either of the cithers in the airange- 

 ?Tient and succession of the notes. 



It is not l^ecause he is tired then that 

 xne Song Sparrow pauses in Ms song„ but 

 ia order that he maj' compose another 

 melody. Other singers have great i-ariety 

 of notes, as the M-ockliighad. the Brown 

 Thrush and the Catbird; but what other 

 baid sings a set song many times over, 

 tiien, after a j^ause, another one entirely 



diiiereriL, and so on through changes so 

 numerous that they seem limitless? 



The modest little singer had revealed 

 himself as something more than an uncon- 

 scious voicing of nature's melodies. He 

 seemed a composer who sings his song 

 many times, then ceases and invents 

 another which he voices, and another, 

 and as many as he chooses. Since that 

 day v.'e have regarded him as in a class 

 by himself — the creative artist of the 

 ■.vinged choir. — Geoece A. Deknison, 

 256 79^A St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Bluebirds vs. Wrens 



Hoping to entice some birds to build 

 near our new little cottage, we fastened 

 a gourd on the post of our porch. Sure 

 enough, early in the spring, came the tiny 

 Wren, bringing his bus3' little wife, who 

 hopped onto the rose bush, and then in 

 and out several times, while he sat on 

 the porch support and sang his little song. 

 After only a few moments' investigation 

 they both went to work, and to us who 

 were watching, seemed quite contented. 



On the third morning while we stood 

 watching the little builders, who should 

 come flying right against the Wren and 

 knock him off his perch, but a Bluebird, 

 who, to the little Wren, I am sure, 

 looked enormous. 



So, all morning, tv^xy XiTCi.fi xh.(i ^^'rens 

 came with grass ox othax m.aterial for 

 their nest the Bluebird would &y against 

 them and drive them away. Finally the 

 Bluebird must ha\'e grown '.-erv' angry, for 

 he flew into the gourd and we could see him 

 scratching and tearing up the work of the 

 ^^'rens, and one stick too long to come out 

 of the door, he took in Ms hill and flew 

 with such force, that, to our siorprise, he 

 tumbled out head first, but the twig came 

 also, and he flew away. TMs old bachelor 

 bird (for he was alone) kept watch over 

 the gourd and succeeded in dispossessing 

 the Wrens, In time he found a mate and 

 they lowh their nest and raised their 

 little iamily of three. 



It was a gr^t pleas i;ire to watch the 

 parent hirds feeding the yo^jng, and how 



