Music of the Wild 



A heron's voice is at its best ■v\hen he calls his 

 mate; but even then those who all their lives have 

 The Bat- studied bird notes under stress of different emo- 

 tie-cryof ^JQj^g have difficulty in deciding whether he says, 

 "Come, my love; this spot is propitious. Share a 

 morning treat with j-our dearest!" or, "Better keep 

 away, old skin and bones ; there 's danger around 

 this frog pond!" But what he says when he de- 

 fends his mate and young from intruders there is 

 no trouble in understanding, and lie emi:)hasizes it 

 Avith beak, wings, and feet. That is the hoarse, 

 rasping battle-cry of the heron, and if you do not 

 want to figlit you had better run. 



Water carries sound so clearly and for such dis- 

 tances the woodjjeckers and flickers that choose 

 The marsh drums for their performances outdo their 



Drum- fgiiQ^y niusicians of the land. Everv hollow, vine- 

 Majors of T • 'l ■ 1 1 



the Marsh Covered tree stumj) ol tlie marsh is a big bassdrum, 

 and on it these drummers perform all day with 

 never-ending vigor, while the breast of the Avater 

 serves as their sounding-board. ^\"hen they have 

 drummed until they are tired clinging to their in- 

 struments, they lean back and cry, "Kerr, kerr, 

 kerr!" like the wailing notes of a fife, and then 

 return to their drumming. 



To tliese performers of the day and partly of 

 the niglit now are added other musicians, wholly 

 nocturnal, that liave arrived from the forest. 

 When dusk creeps from the deep wood and iii- 



418 



