THE AUTUMN SONG OF BIBDS. 4U 



I cannot quite agree with the latter part of the statement 

 that the Willow Wren " is the most persistent singer of all our 

 summer visitors, not ceasing until the middle of August." The 

 Willow Wren, in my experience, becomes silent soon after the 

 middle of June. The time varies a little in different years and 

 different localities, and probably some may be heard singing very 

 early in the morning in the first days of July in some years ; for, 

 like certain other birds, it sings in the small hours after it has 

 ceased to sing in the daytime. But during the greater part of 

 July it is silent. So far from ceasing in the middle of August, 

 it is about that time (I said about the second week in my paper) 

 that it strikes up its autumn song. I heard it this year on 

 August 17th, and again yesterday (August 22nd). The Chiffchaff, 

 whose spell of singing lasts from the end of March (the third 

 week sometimes) until the last week in July in some years, does 

 not open the autumn song so soon. In 1885, however, I heard 

 a Chiffchaff on August 15th. In 1883 it was singing on October 

 1st. I have heard the Wren in September, also in the first week 

 in August. The Starling often sings a little at the end of summer 

 and in early autumn ; for instance, on August 19th and 22nd 

 this year. 



The early autumn seems to be the only time of the year when 

 the birds enjoy leisure and plenty. After the winter, when they 

 generally have to work hard for food, come courtship, nesting, 

 rearing young, and moulting. But when the last is over, it 

 seems natural that in the warm hazy days of early autumn, when 

 the birds have plenty of time to bask on the tree-tops and tall 

 hedges, they should sing in a lazy, contented fashion. Also that 

 the young birds, of the year should try their voices, and produce 

 weak and imperfect strains. Even the Rook adopts a soft caw ; 

 but I do not at this moment remember having heard in autumn 

 the softer quavering croak which the Carrion Crow assumes in 

 spring. 



