88 



heard for more than two miles. This music seems to be 

 something betwixt chattering and warbhng, — jingling liquid 

 notes like those of the BoboUnk, with their peculiar kong- 

 quer-ree and hob a le, o-hoh a lee; then complaining chirps, jars, 

 and sounds like saw-filing, or the motion of a sign-board on 

 its rusty hinge; the whole constituting a novel and sometimes 

 grand chorus of discord and harmony, in which the performers 

 seem in good earnest, and bristle up their feathers as if inclined 

 at least to make up in quantity what their show of music may 

 lack in quality. . . . Selecting their accustomed resort, 

 they make the low meadows resound again with their notes, 

 particularly in the morning and evening before retiring to or 

 leaving the roost; previous to settling themselves for the 

 night, and before parting in the day, they seem all to join in 

 a general chorus of liquid warbling tones, which would be 

 very agreeable but for the interruption of the plaints and 

 jarring sounds with which it is blended. . . . Assembled again 

 in their native marshes, the male perched upon the summit of 

 some bush surrounded by water, in company with his mates, 

 now sings out, at short intervals, his guttural kong-quer-reCf 

 sharply calls ftsheah, or when disturbed, plaintively utters 

 Htshay; to which his companions, not insensible to these odd 

 attentions, now and then return a gratulatory cackle or re- 

 iterated chirp, like that of the native Meadow Lark. . . . 

 If the nest is approached . . ., the female cries 'quedh, ^puedhj 

 and at length, when the mischief they dreaded is accomplished, 

 the louder notes give way to others which are more still, slow, 

 and mournful; one of which resembles fax', fai', or tea and 

 Vtshedhr 



Bicknell (1882), in his studies of the singing of birds, states 

 that their song always accompanies migratory movement, even 

 as early as February 22. The chief song months are March, 

 April, and May. After the middle of May, they lose their 

 readiness of voice, but never cease singing before July, final 

 songs being heard July 17, 28, and August 3. In the fall, 

 singing is transiently renewed between October 14 and 17. 



Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1874), in discussing the song, 

 say : '' The notes of this bird are very various and indescribable. 



