SONG OF BIRDS. 



479 



appears to be a family language, understood reciprocally by parent-birds 

 and their young ; for the young know the notes of their parents, and 

 the parents those of their own brood, amongst all the young broods of 

 other birds of the same species in the neighbourhood ; and this they 

 do, as distinctly as the ewe knows the bleat of its own lamb, or the 

 lamb the cry of its own mother, amongst a large flock. With regard 

 to the note of alarm birds send forth on the approach of their natural 

 enemies, whether a hawk, an owl, or a cat, we consider it to be a gene- 

 ral language perfectly understood by all small birds, though each species 

 has a note peculiar to itself. This note differs in sound from the note 

 of fear or alarm, given by them when man approaches near their nests. 

 This last seems confined to a species ; but this general alarm note, 

 (which is understood by all small birds,) we would call their warwhoop 

 or gathering cry, for it is a true natural slogan. All the notes com- 

 prised in the song of birds convey delight to the mind of a lover of na- 

 ture ; but the bird fanciers only prize their love warble, and notes of 

 defiance ; these notes, and these only, he considers to be their song. 

 The musical notes of birds, whether of love or war, are sweet, and 

 really charming in themselves ; but they perhaps pour on the mind a 

 greater degree of pleasure than mere sound is capable of conveying, — 

 we mean the recollections of youthful days, of endearing incidents, or 

 of scenes connected with country pleasure. We ourselves prefer the 

 mellow, plaintive melody of the soft-billed species ; but others give the 

 palm to the cheerful warble of the hard-billed tribe : which of these 

 two styles is the sweetest melody we cannot determine. Both warbles 

 may be equally fine ; and the preference, perhaps, may depend on taste 

 and feeling. But it is allowed, by all who have an ear for music, or rather, 

 we should say, who have an ear and love for simple natural melody, 

 that the song or warble of birds is truly delightful ; but all their mu- 

 sical notes cease as soon as the brood is hatched." 



I may be permitted to inquire, — since birds sing in a pitch so irregu- 

 lar, and with intervals so unsettled, exhibiting a total disregard to mea- 

 sure and rhyme, — what makes their music pleasing ? The cause has 

 been traced to association ; for they seldom sing but in fine weather, 

 and when pleased ; and for the last reason, even the sostenuto of the 

 cat is not unpleasing. The variety and rapidity of their notes and 

 intonation also awakens attention ; and the contrast between rapid 

 flights of double-demi-semi-quavers, and lengthened and sweet minims, 

 is often wonderful ; such as the soft and sustained notes of the night- 

 ingale, succeeded by a short and expressive passage of quicker sound. 



