Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



27 



stances. A pair of Robins will make a 

 great outcry if their nest is molested, the 

 excited notes of the male corresponding to 

 the battle cry when the birds are mating. 

 Other Kobins join the hue and cry and the 

 neiofhborhood of birddom is aroused, for the 

 birds understand and all lend their 

 sympathy and bluster. If the nest is 

 robbed the pair quickly subside, and 

 tiie male will probably be singing the 

 same evening ; surely the next morning. 

 Within a few days a new nest is begun 

 in the same neighborhood or the old 

 one is again occupied, the song continually 

 proclaiming the joy of the happy pair, 

 so far as we can judge. 



I have carefully noted the actions of 

 the bereaved birds in many cases, and 

 it is always about the same. In one 

 instance where a nest of the Warbling 

 Yireo was robbed the male quickly re- 

 turned to the vacant nest and there 

 sang with greatest joy, apparantly, for it 

 is the habit of the male of this species 

 to sing on the nest. It may be that 

 the song expressed sorrow, or at least a 

 complaint, but to me the same ecstatic 

 warble was heard that was always given 

 to my ears. I have watched in the 

 vicinity of the nests of the Scarlet Tan- 

 ager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wood 

 Tlirush, Hermit and Indigo-bird, all fine 

 singers, and have observed that all 

 apparently quickly recovered from the 

 effects of spoliation and sang within 

 twenty-four hours after. In each instance 

 the male tuned up and sang as sweetly 

 as ever. 



The species of birds that sing when 

 flying are very few. Of the many birds 

 which utter simple sounds on the wing 

 I am not speaking, for they are in large 

 numbers. If we consider notes of birds 

 as expressions of sentiment, then all sounds 

 may be called songs, especially may this 

 be considered true of spring notes. Ad- 

 mitting this, then there are over one 

 hundred species which sing as they fly. 



All of the hawks and other rapacious 

 birds that I am acquainted with, utter their 

 discordant cries and screams when upon 

 the wing ; the Red-shouldered, Marsh, and 

 Cooper's Hawks, and the Screech and 



Barred Owls being especially noisy in 

 season. All of the herons utter their 

 gutteral notes when on the wing, altliough 

 the more difficult notes of the American 

 Bittern are not given on the wing. The 

 smaller waders give utterance as they fly, 

 and most of the ducks have been heard, 

 wliile the geese are notorious gabblers 

 during migration. Sandhill Cranes issue 

 their notes as they sail, sometimes out of 

 sight. Nighthawks make their only efforts 

 while on the wing, as we should expect 

 with a 'dpecies which earns its entire 

 living while flying. Its near relative the 

 Whip-poor-will sometimes flies singing 

 through the woods in spring. 



The Woodpeckers are a noisy set, and 

 without an exception issue the clatter which 

 answers in the nature of a refrain on 

 the wing. All hunters have heard the 

 scape of the Wilson's Snipe, the single 

 note of the flying Woodcock and the 

 agreeable efforts of the Killdeer, Spotted 

 Sandpiper and the Upland Plover, the 

 latter really musical, and many others of 

 the smaller waders. 



In the Gallince and Coluinbm we have 

 a list of silent birds when flying, though 

 the Mourning Dove, Quail and some 

 others are noisy on the perch. 



Among the birds which are acknowleged 

 singers the following seven musical species 

 are presented as birds which I have heard 

 singing when flying. The Bobolink is 

 the acknowledged leader in flight song, 

 in fact his rollicking, jingling medley is 

 about equal in excellence to that of any 

 bird w^th which I am acquainted. The 

 common Bluebird is a charming exponent 

 of flight singing. It occasionally flutters 

 upward and pours forth its soft warble in a 

 most enchanting manner just after arriving 

 from the South. 



The Warbling Yireo rarely, in a trans- 

 port of bliss, during the mating season, 

 launches into the air while yet singing and 

 apparently forgetful of custom, strives to 

 make us mundane creatures as happy as 

 itself. This agreeable songster is one of my 

 favorites, and no one who is a lover of 

 bird melody can remain indifferent to its 

 ecstatic warblings. 



In May and June we sometimes liear the 

 loud gushing song of the Rose-breasted 



