BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 99 



in certain notes, especially the most striking in 

 power, beauty, and strangeness. Thus, when the 

 cuckoo starts calling, you will see other small 

 birds fly straight to the tree and perch near him, 

 apparently to listen. And among the listeners 

 you will find the sparrow and tits of various 

 species — birds which are never victimized by the 

 cuckoo, and do not take him for a hawk since 

 they take no notice of him until the calling begins. 

 The reason that the double fluting call of the 

 cuckoo is not mimicked by other birds is that 

 they can't; because that peculiar sound is not in 

 their register. The bubbling cry is reproduced by 

 both the marsh warbler and the starling. Again, 

 it is my experience that when a nightingale starts 

 singing, the small birds near immediately become 

 attentive, often suspending their own songs and 

 some flying to perch near him, and listen, just as 

 they listen to the cuckoo. Birds imitate the note 

 or phrase that strikes them most, and is easiest 

 to imitate, as when the thrush copies the piping 

 and trilling of the redshank and the easy song of 

 the ring-ouzel, which, when incorporated into his 

 own music, harmonizes with it perfectly. But 

 he cannot flute, and so never mimics the black- 



