Music of the Wild 



est unless you have remained for so many all-night 



concerts that j'ou are familiar with the 2>3-rts of 



The all the musicians. At niglit only a few grasshop- 



Midnight .J, .^j.g vocalizing, the crickets ne^'er cease, and 



Serenade " 



the katy-dids tune u]) tor then' star jjcriormance. 

 Daytime feathered singers as a rule tuck their 

 lieads and go to sleej) early, and the al)sence of the 

 wavering accompaniment of their varied voices 

 gives peculiar pause and tonal color to ensuing- 

 notes that ai-e of themselves sufficienth' emphatic 

 and startling. Almost always the wind drops on 

 summer e\enings, and a great silence so deep it 

 en\\ra])s you as a garment and fills your soul with 

 awe seems to creep from the very heart of the for- 

 est. A\dien not dominated by tree and bird music, 

 insect voices ring out shrill and high, and the whip- 

 l)oor-will finds truly artistic pause and setting for 

 its remarkable vocal performance. No other bird 

 of all ornithology lifts its voice and in such clear 

 and distinct Knglish emmciates what it has to say. 

 Almost cA'cry naturalist and musician afield re- 

 cording bird notes disagrees as to the iitterance 

 and inflection of some of our plainest talkers. 

 There is no difference of opinion whatever about 

 this bird. To every one it says too ]dainly to ad- 

 mit (jnestioning, "Whi])-poor-will!"' 



Near the same time the night hawk takes flight 

 during the breeding season. After family cares 

 are over I have seen bands of them come sweeping 



108 



