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VOICES OF BIRDS. 
tlie Louisiana water thrush. The notes of the latter 
bird are as powerful and mellow, and at times as varied. 
This bird is a resident of the low lands of Louisiana 
and the Mississippi. It may be observed perched on a 
low bough, scarcely higher than the top of the canes, 
in an erect attitude, swelling its throat, and repeating, 
several times in succession, sounds so approaching the 
whole two octaves of a good piano-forte, as almost to 
induce the hearer to imagine that the keys of that 
instrument are used on the occasion. The bird begins 
on the upper key, and progressively passes from one to 
another until it reaches the base note, this last fre- 
quently being lost when there is the least agitation in 
the air. Its song is heard even in the winter when the 
weather is calm and warm.” 
Voices of Birds. 
Although the beautiful remarks of Wilson on the 
song of birds are already before our readers, we doubt 
not they will enjoy the following observations of a 
universally admired popular modern English writer on 
the same subject : — 
<c Rural sounds, the voices, the language of the wild 
creatures, as heard by the naturalist, belong to, and are 
in concord with, the country only. Our sight, our 
smell, may perhaps be deceived for an interval by con- 
servatories, horticultural arts, and bowers of sweets; 
but our hearing can in no way be beguiled by any 
semblance of what is heard in the grove or the field. 
The hum, the murmur, the medley of the mead, are 
peculiarly its own, admit of no imitation, and distinctly 
notify the various periods of the year, with an accuracy 
as certain as they are detailed in our calendars. The 
season of spring is always announced as approaching 
by the notes of the rookery, by the jangle or wooing 
accents of the dark frequenters of its trees ; and that 
time having passed away, these contentions and cadences 
are no longer heard. The cuckoo then comes, and 
informs us that spring has arrived, — that he has jour- 
neyed to us, borne by gentle gales in sunny days, — that 
