364 
WINTER SONGSTERS. 
respect to excel them, thus on February 8th and on 
to about the 16th, the Chaffinch sang not unfre- 
quently, and the Ox-eye delivered his cheerful 
spring notes, yet snow was lying on the ground, 
and the only inducement seemed to be the clear 
sunbeams in which they preened themselves, but 
on the 14th and 15th it was even cloudy and snow 
descending, and yet the Chaffinch was still in song ! 
After this the weather got sunny and the snow 
melted, the Chaffinch assumed a merrier, more 
perfect, and more frequent song, and Blackbirds for 
the first time that year began on the 18th. These 
illustrations ofthe almost exclusivepowerof weather 
on the hilarity and animal vigour of birds, is still 
further supported by the Yellow Hammer, which 
though a very late breeder, began his song, (wanting 
in however the concluding note) on February 21st, 
when it was fine and rather warm. The Greenfinch 
also began on February 25th, a tolerably warm day, 
and the snow fast melting. 
But be it here observed, that dcpendance cannot 
always be placed on this rule of the re-assumption 
of song under the circumstance of favorable weather, 
nor vice versa will it always be found withheld 
under the condition of unfavorable weather. I have 
often speculated on the probability of hearing cer¬ 
tain winter songsters when I perceived the air 
genial and the sun shining clearly, and yet have not 
seldom been disappointed, and again I have been 
agreeably deceived in hearing their carols on occa¬ 
sions when I least expected them. It is however 
somewffiat consolatory to find that though these 
facts apparently in some degree weaken the present 
theory, they by no means assist in the establishment 
or strength of any opposite conclusion or idea. 
Besides which, it remains yet to be observed in con¬ 
tradiction to the theory of food, as well'as to that 
of love being respectively the excitants to song 
