INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 95 



have no knowledge. The " humming " of 

 wings, " ticking " and " rasping " (Cicadas) 

 are all of the instrumental order ; so also is 

 that peculiar " squeaking " produced by the 

 hawk-moth (Acherontia atropos) : all these 

 expressions are significant and have their uses 

 in nature. 



Then, again, there are many birds, including 

 foreign species, who " play " instrumentaUy. 

 Woodpeckers of various kinds make use of a 

 sounding board, a specially selected portion 

 of a hollow tree whicla, on being struck by the 

 bird with its bill, gives out sound like the 

 " roll " on a drum that can be heard half a 

 mile away on a still day, but though loud- 

 sounding is extremely difficult to locate. A 

 person unacquainted with this sound would 

 never imagine it to proceed from a bird, and 

 in the case of the lesser-barred woodpecker, a 

 very small bird at that. How the " beats," 

 which cannot be less, and may be anything 

 over 16 per second, can be tapped out with 

 such amazing celerity, is a mystery. 



The " bleating " of snipe (Scolopax galli- 

 nago) is another most remarkable example of 

 serenading, and as to how it is produced is still 

 undetermined. 



The writer, who has availed himself when- 

 ever the opportunity offered for taking obser- 



