VOICES OF BIRDS, 
18 S 
the morning, pipe unceasingly through the day, yet, at 
the close of eve, when he retires to rest, there is no 
obvious decay of his musical powers, or any sensible 
effort required to continue his harmony to the last. 
Birds of one species sing in general very like each 
other, with different degrees of execution. Some 
counties may produce finer songsters, but without great 
variation in the notes. In the thrush, however, it is 
remarkable, that there seem to be no regular notes, 
each individual piping a voluntary of his own. Their 
voices may always be distinguished amid the choristers 
of the copse, yet some one performer will more partic- 
ularly engage attention by a peculiar modulation or 
tune ; and should several stations of these birds be 
visited in the same morning, few or none probably will 
be found to preserve the same round of notes ; what- 
ever is uttered seeming the effusion of the moment. At 
times a strain will break out perfectly unlike any pre- 
ceding utterance, and we may wait a long time without 
noticing any repetition of it. During one spring an 
individual song-thrush, frequenting a favorite copse, 
after a certain round of tune, trilled out most regularly 
some notes that conveyed so clearly the words, lady- 
bird ! lady-bird ! that every one remarked the resem- 
blance. He survived the winter, and in the ensuing 
season the lady-bird 1 lady-bird ! was still the burden 
of our evening song; it then ceased, and we never 
heard this pretty modulation more. Though merely an 
occasional strain, yet I have noticed it elsewhere — it 
thus appearing to be a favorite utterance. Harsh, 
strained, and tense, as the notes of this bird are, yet 
they are pleasing from their variety. The voice of the 
blackbird is infinitely more mellow, but has much less 
variety, compass, or execution ; and he too commences 
his carols with the morning light, persevering from hour 
to hour without effort, or any sensible faltering of voice. 
The cuckoo wearies us throughout some long May 
morning with the unceasing monotony of its song; and, 
though there are others as vociferous, yet it is the only 
bird I know that seems to suffer from the use of the 
organs of voice. Little exertion as the few notes it 
