108 Ornithology. 



understood reciprocally by parent birds and their young ; for 

 the young know the notes of their parents, and the parents of 

 their own brood, among all the young broods of other birds 

 of the same species in the neighborhood, and this they do, as 

 distinctly as the ewe knows the bleat of her own lamb, or the 

 lamb the cry of its own mother, among a large flock. With 

 regard to the note of alarm, birds send forth on the approach 

 of their natural enemies, whether a hawk, an owl or a cat, 

 we consider it to be a general language perfectly understood 

 by all small birds, though each species has a note peculiar 

 to itself. Tliis note differs in sound from the note of fear or 

 alarm, given by them when man approaches near their nest. 

 This last seems confined to a species; but this general alarm 

 note, (which is understood by all small birds,) we would call 

 their war whoop or gathering cry, for it is a true natural 

 slogan. All the notes comprised in the song of birds convey 

 delight to the mind of a lover of nature ; but the bird fancier 

 only prizes their love warble, and notes of defiance ; these 

 notes, and these only, he considers to be their song. The 

 musical notes of birds, whether of love or war, are sweet, and 

 really charming in themselves ; but 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 mellow, 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, natural melody, that the song or 

 warble of birds is truly delightful ; but all their musical notes 

 cease as soon as the brood is hatched.' 



We may be permitted to inquire, since birds sing in a 

 pitch so irregular, and with intervals so unsettled, exhibiting 

 a total disregard to measure and rhyme, what makes their 

 music pleasing ? The cause has been traced to association ; 

 for they sing but in fine weather, and when pleased ; and for 

 the last reason, even the sostenuto of ihe cat isnot unpleasing. 

 The variety and rapidity of their notes and intonation also 

 awakens attention ; and the contrast between rapid flights of 

 double-demi-semi-quavers, and lengthened and sweet minims, 

 is often wonderful ; such as the soft and sustained notes of 

 the nightingale, succeeded by a short and expressive passage 



