INTRODUCTION. 31 



they perhaps pour on the mind a greater degree of 

 pleasure than mere sound is capable of conveying, 

 — we mean the recollections of youthful days — -of 

 endearing incidents — or of scenes connected with 

 country pleasure. We ourselves prefer the mel- 

 low, plaintive melody of the soft-billed species; 

 but others give the palm to the cheerful warble of 

 the hard-billed tribe : which of these two styles is 

 the sweetest melody we cannot determine. Both 

 warbles may be equally fine ; and the preference, 

 perhaps, may depend on taste and feeling. But 

 it is allowed by all who have an ear for music, — 

 or rather, we should say, who have an ear and 

 love for simple nattu'al melody, — that the song or 

 warble of birds is truly delightful; but all their 

 musical notes cease as soon as the brood is hatched. 

 Before quitting the natural song, or musical 

 notes of British song-birds, we may here mention, 

 that the Honourable Daines Barrington has given 

 a table or scale of the comparative excellence of 

 the natural musical notes of British birds, exem- 

 plified by numbers, twenty being the point of per- 

 fection. It is as follows : — 



