The Singing of Birds. E. P. Bickn«ll. 
Passerina cyanea. Indigo-bird. 
The Indigo-bird sings faithfully through the midsummer; 
but the silencing influence that begins to overtake the birds at 
this time, reaches it about the end of J„uly, and it is soon quieted. 
The last days of singing are between the end of July and mid- 
August ; my records giving August 15 and 16 as dates of latest 
songs. 
I have ever found'this bird uncommon in the fall, and my scant 
data respecting its singing in that season are comprehended 
between the last two weeks of September. 
The song-flight of the Indigo-bird I have but once witnessed 
— on September 23, 1879. 
Regarding the singingof the Indigo-bird, Mr. Fred. T. Jencks, 
of Providence, writes me that he is able to distinguish by their 
songs the younger from the fully adult birds at a distance of at 
least one hundred and fifty yards. The songs of younger birds 
are more simple and less musical than those of adults. I am 
myself familiar with differences in the songs of Indigo-birds such 
as Mr. Jencks describes, but never traced them to their cause. 
— t 
of these phenomena I had seen. While out 
m a field, I heard, far above my head, the 
familiar notes of our little Indigo Bunting. 
Looking up I discovered him, a mere speck 
sailing and singing away at that height as 
though in raptures. 
I had never seen this before, and was 
much struck with it, for it certainly was 
pleasing and a subject worthy of study, alone 
in the questions — what birds sing on the 
wing? and what prompts it? besides the 
many other speculations which it will pre- 
sent to a lover of nature. Since I have 
several times seen this aerial flight of P. 
cyanea, accompanied with song. The 
Indigo Bunting always selects the top of 
some tree near his nest as his special singing 
site ; and there his charming notes may be 
heard at almost any time of day. Strange, 
though seldom, is that inspiration which 
carries this modest little creature to sing 
high up 111 the air, as though the earth were 
no longer worthy of its presence. 
Having observed this in the Indigo Finch, 
I was led to look for similar characteristics 
in other birds. I found that the Blue Gros- 
beak, Mocking-bird, and some of the Vireos 
all give us “ music in the air.” The Mock- 
ing-bird has a queer way while singing of 
flying straight up for about twenty feet in 
the air, then dropping down on the same 
branch in a flood of song. 
With the exception of the Mocking-bird, 
none of our true Thrushes sing while flying, 
though all of them give cries of distress and 
anger in the air. XttZT A0/0 
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