28 INTRODUCTION. 



In a comprehenswe sense, the complete song of 

 birds includes all the notes they are capable of ut- 

 tering ; and, taken in this sense, it is analogous to 

 the speech of man. It is the vehicle through 

 which these little creatures communicate and con- 

 vey to each other their mutual Avishes and their 

 wants. It may be divided into six distinct sepa- 

 rate sounds or parts, each of which is very ex- 

 pressive, even to us, of the feelings which agitate 

 the bird at the moment. To describe their song 

 more fully, we shall divide it in the following 

 manner: — First, The call-note of the male in 

 spring; second, The loud, clear, ardent, fierce 

 notes of defiance; third, The soft, tender, full, 

 melodious, love warble ; fourth. The notes of fear 

 or alarm when danger approaches the nest ; fifth. 

 The note of alarm or war-cry when a bird of prey 

 appears ; sixth, The note tlie parent birds utter to 

 their brood, and the chirp or note of the young. 

 The note of the young may be again divided into 

 t^vo, — that which they utter wliile in the nest, and 

 the chii'p after they have left it, — ^for they are very 

 distinct sounds or notes ; to which may be added, 

 a soft, murmuring kind of note, emitted by the 

 male while he is feeding the female in the nest, 

 and also by her while she is receiving the food. 



