VOICE. 
163 
when compared, to the size of the body^ is almost with . 
out parallel, excepting, perhaps,in the swifts. The flight 
of the eagle, strong, majestic, and beautiful, as it cer- 
tainly is, cannot be compared to that of the frigate 
birds either for grace, celerity, or loftiness. Few will 
be disposed to believe this assertion until, by crossing 
the tropics, they become eye witnesses of the astonishing 
poivers of flight which nature has bestowed on these 
birds. They seem to delight in that war of elements 
which woultl overpower almost all other birds, but 
which to them appears the season of pastime. At one 
moment the frigate bird may be barely perceptible as 
a moving speck above the mast, while the next, a sudden 
splash in the wave will tell that it has fallen upon a fish, 
or caught one that had been previously captured by the 
boobie, who had relinquished it on the appearance of 
this irresistible flyer. It has been said, and we be- 
lieve the fact, that the frigate bird has been seen near 
a thousand miles from any known land, for the rapidity 
with which it flies appeared to us far greater than that 
of the swallow, and to be effected with scarcely any 
motion or beating of the wings. Thus has nature ad- 
hered to her law. No birds in this order are gifted 
with such extraordinary powers in their wings as these 
twoj and to no birds are the usual functions of the 
feet so much denied. 
(140.) The soNO or the language of birds, has been 
a subject of fruitful speculation among the French writers, 
and a useful abstract of what they have advanced will 
be found in some of our recent compilations ; neverthe- 
less, there is much of error, and some exageration, in these 
statements. The subject is in many respects interesting, 
but, as it is more physiological than scientific, we shall 
in this place treat it with brevity : passing over what 
has already been published, for the purpose of treating 
the subject with reference to the natural classification of 
these songsters. The powers of voice are certainly 
greater in birds, when their size is considered, than in 
any other class of animals, or even in man. Ihis 
M % 
