THE ANTHEM OF MORN. 79 



songs. The little hair-bird still continues his almost 

 incessant chirping, the first to begin and the last to 

 quit the performance. Though the voice of this bird is 

 not very sweetly modulated, it blends harmoniously with 

 the notes of other birds, and greatly increases the charm- 

 ing effect of the combination. 



It would be tedious to name all the birds that take 

 part in this chorus; but we must not omit the pewee, 

 with his melancholy ditty, occasionally heard like a short 

 minor strain in an oratorio ; nor the oriole, who is really 

 one of ^ the chief performers, and who, as his bright plu- 

 mage flashes upon the sight, warbles forth a few notes so 

 clear and mellow as to be heard above every other sound. 

 Adding a pleasing variety to all this harmony, the lisping 

 notes of the meadow-lark, uttered in a shrill tone, and 

 with a peculiarly pensive modulation, are plainly audible, 

 with short rests between each repetition. 



There is a little brown sparrow, resembling the hair- 

 bird, save a general tint of russet in his plumage, that 

 may be heard distinctly among the warbling host. He 

 is rarely seen in cultivated grounds, but frequents the 

 wild pastures, and is the bird that warbles so sweetly 

 at midsummer, when the whortleberries are ripe, and the 

 fields are beautifully spangled with red lilies. There is 

 no confusion in the notes of his song, which consists of 

 one syllable rapidly repeated, but increasing in rapidity 

 and rising to a higher key towards the conclusion. He 

 sometimes prolongs his strain, when his notes are ob- 

 served to rise and fall in succession. These plaintive and 

 expressive notes are very loud and constantly uttered, 

 during the hour that precedes the rising of the sun. A 

 dozen warblers of this species, singing in concert, and 

 distributed in different parts of the field, form, perhaps, 

 the most delightful part of the woodland oratorio to which 

 we have listened. 



