Song Birds and Water Fowl 



ticularly fond of pastures, the borders of the 

 highway, and the like. In the general chorus, 

 too, the inferior but neatly dressed " chip- 

 py" — as the hair-bird is familiarly called — 

 proved that he was anxious to do his best on 

 all occasions ; but how variable that best is — 

 sometimes so ringing and musical, and at other 

 times as hard and uncompromising as a minia- 

 ture watchman's rattle. 



A heavy fog prevailed early in the morning ; 

 but a fog can never dismay a bird in May. He 

 is too joyously full to be choked off by such a 

 vaporous trifle ; so they sang in their most wild 

 and rampant fashion, and left to me the only 

 effect of the fog — the difficulty of finding them. 



One of the first to be heard was the wood 

 thrush ; and he afforded, as usual, the golden, 

 richly modulated undertone, like the melting 

 French horn, throughout the morning's sym- 

 phony. What a royal repose in his short but 

 stately cadence, giving one the impression that 

 always marks the mature and genuine artist — 

 the sense of great reserve power. The wine 

 of his soul is rare, but not intoxicating. If we 

 did not have so many really witching and ec- 

 static melodists in nature's choir, we might be 

 a bit provoked at times, that so grand a vocalist 

 6 



