A Bouquet of Song Birds 



While I would not presume to reverse the 

 findings of the scientific court upon this point, 

 I am at least at liberty to say that, if the note 

 of this great crested member of the family be 

 not music, it is surely one of the best imita- 

 tions of music I have ever heard. He has no 

 formal song, indeed, only the reiteration of a 

 tone that is sometimes " throaty," and quite as 

 often clear ; and this is about as much as can be 

 said in praise of many of the much vaunted 

 " warblers; " but at least the tone is full, res- 

 onant, and sometimes extremely rich. I vent- 

 ure to say he knows more about music, now, 

 than the nuthatch or the oven-bird, whose 

 names stand in the chorus ; and with a little 

 training he would beat most of the vireos. 

 This fellow gives one the impression of a merry 

 brigand — a sort of Robin Hood — his loud, 

 wild note ringing defiantly from the tops of the 

 trees, as if in conscious defiance of his popular 

 estimate. 



At the other end of the line, in point of size, 

 stands the " least flycatcher," which was doing 

 very vigorous work for such a mite, as he 

 perched within a few feet of me, and showed 

 enough energy in his tone for half a dozen 

 birds. If manner of utterance be any criterion, 



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