Music of the Wild 



their 3'oung tenderly, and fearlessly attack any- 

 thing threatening danger to them. So long as they 

 A Bat- are ininiolested and haj)])y they are silent: a strange 

 tie Cry ,.(_,yj.,.sjjji pf ^])g ].^^^y ,)f nuisic in birdland. Almost 

 ^vithont exee])tion other birds sing in bubbling ec- 

 stasy when they are happy, and mope in silence, 

 l)roken oidy by a few pathetic notes of availing, 

 Avhen in trouble. 



Tlie haA\k gi\'es warning when angry by a stri- 

 dent hiss, much like a vultin-e or eagle. When he 

 really makes an attack, for the pur])ose of van- 

 ([uishing an enemy, comes his one musical effort. 

 His battle-hymn is a hair-raising scream: shrill, 

 loud, and the wildest note of the forest. Small 

 I)irds flee from it in utter consternation, and no 

 doubt gi'eat ones quail, even if they remain to 

 fight. Never a hawk-scream shivers through the 

 treetops but a bedlam of crow-calls ans\\er, for 

 tliey a]-e s^\'orn enemies. Of coiu'se the hawk by 

 reason of gi-eater strength and size must win in 

 e^ery battle it "wages, l)ut there is nothing to ])re- 

 vent cro'\\'s from seeing how closely they can skim 

 danger and raising all the excitement ])ossible. 



Xo bird of field or forest has the force of ex- 

 pression to be found on the face of a big hawk. 

 There is character, dignity, defiance, and savagery 

 combined. The eagle has a wicked, fierce appear- 

 ance, and I never have seen its face express any- 

 thing else. I can find no better terms than "dig- 



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