BIRDS 109 



bird is glad it is living. Birds, in singing, usually select some 

 elevated place, the tip of a reed, or the top of a tree, to suit 

 their elevated spirit. Some, like the skylark, fly skyward 

 higher and higher, singing the while, till almost out of view. 

 Birds also sing out of mere rivalry, or as a challenge. This 

 is well illustrated in our barnyard cock, which answers de- 

 fiantly the crow of another perhaps distant cock. Many 

 birds have the same note for calhng, scolding, distress, fear, 

 and rejoicing. Others express different emotions by a vari- 

 ety of sounds or songs. 



Birds sing most in the mating season, in the spring, but 

 after the hungry brood appears the father finds little time or 

 inclination for singing. Some birds take to singing again in 

 the fall, but not so much as in the spring. 



Birds sing chiefly at sunrise and during the early hours of 

 the morning, and are quiet in the middle of the day. The 

 robin, mocking-bird, and others give us evening songs. The 

 vesper sparrow is called thus because of its evening serenade. 

 Nightingales and mocking-birds sing even after sunset. Noc- 

 turnal birds, of course, are heard at night. Then are heard 

 the hoot of the owl, the squawk of the nighthawk, and the 

 plaintive call of the whippoorwill. 



It is difiicult to express in human sounds the songs of birds. 

 Many names have been given on account of fancied resem- 

 blance of the calls or songs of the birds to the names given, 

 thus chewink, chicadee, whippoorwill, pewee, bobwhite, etc. 

 Different observers interpret the more compUcated songs in 

 different ways according to the mood awakened by the song 

 or according to the mood when the song was heard, hence 

 no two interpretations are ahke. Mrs. Bailey, in "Birds 

 through an Opera-glass," says the robin sings " Tril-la-ree, 



