LEARNING BIRD LANGUAGE 205 



cardinal grosbeak. With feathers upstanding on 

 breast and back until his wings are almost obscured, 

 with swollen throat, crest flared to the utmost, and 

 parted beak, he begins; and as he approaches and 

 reaches the greatest degree of intensity, he sways, 

 his wings half lifted and half spread, and whistles 

 and trills and tumbles out his notes in a frenzy. 

 Although not generally conceded, it is a fact that 

 nearly every female sings a number of times a day, 

 during courtship and feeding, never when brooding, 

 except the merest whisper. These songs suggest 

 the notes of the male, but they are low, hesitating, 

 uttered in such a way that they do not compare 

 favourably with the efforts of the master musician. 



When you see a bird about the daily business of 

 life, suddenly stop, plaster its feathers to its body, 

 and its eyes snap and pop, it is so paralyzed with 

 fear that until it has a second in which to recover 

 it can not decide in which direction to fly. And 

 very frequently birds save their lives when over- 

 taken by imminent danger by flattening their 

 feathers, remaining where they are, and trusting 

 to protective colouring to hide them. 



When a bird flares its crest, or lacking a crest 

 raises its crown feathers, lifts its wings from its. 

 body, leans forward, and peers from side to side, 

 it is inquisitive, not really frightened; but it has 

 discovered something sufficiently out of the ordi- 

 nary to awaken its interest. In such case, if nothing 

 happens to cause it to take flight, it usually begins 



