THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
211 
Say, was thy little mate unkind, 
And heard thee as the careless wind ? 
Oh nocht but love and sorrow join'd, 
Sic notes o' wae could wanken. 
Thou tells o' never-ending care ; 
O' speechless grief, and dark despair ; 
For pity^s sake, sweet bird, nae mair ! 
Or my poor heart is broken ! 
The calandra lark {Alando Calandra), an inhabi- 
tant of Syria, Italy, Sardinia, Provence, and some 
parts of America, is much admired, both for its song 
and its imitative powers. It acquires the songs of the 
goldfinch, linnet, canary, and many other birds, with 
facility. It also imitates the chirp of young chickens, 
and the cry of a cat : its song* is so much admired 
in Italy, that, " to sing like a calandra,'' is under- 
stood as meaning " to sing well." 
Landscapes how gay the bow'ry grotto yields. 
Which thought creates, and lavish fancy builds 1 
What art can trace the visionary scenes. 
The flowery groves, and everlasting greens 1 
