varied. I think there may be less difference than is commonly supposed in the powers of individuals, and that the songs of the same warbler vary with his feelings. If you closely watch one on a tree while singing, he may be observed suddenly to take flight, and while poising himself in the air, though still advancing, to pour out a continued strain of melody with all the rapture of a Skylark.

The male American Linnet is crimson on the head, neck, and throat, dusky on the upper parts of his body, and beneath somewhat straw-colored. It is remarkable that some of the males are wanting in the crimson head and neck, being plainly clad, like the female. These are supposed to be old birds, and the loss of color is attributed to age. I am doubtful of this, for it can hardly be supposed that any bird can escape the gunner long enough to become gray with age. The only nests of this bird which I have seen were upon spruce-trees. The eggs are of a pale green with dark spots of irregular size.

THE PEABODY-BIRD.

In the northern parts of New England only are the inhabitants familiar with the habits of the Peabody-Bird, or White-throated Sparrow. I have seen it, however, in Cambridge; and during a season when the currantworm was very destructive, one individual came frequently into my garden and employed himself in picking the caterpillars from a row of currant-bushes. As the fruit was then ripened, or partially ripe, his appearance so late in the season led me to infer that he had probably a nest somewhere in the Cambridge woods. This is a large Sparrow, and a very fine singing-bird. Samuels says: "The song of this species is very beautiful. It is difficult of description, but resembles nearly the

syllables 'chea, dêe de; dê-d-de, dê-d-de, dê-d-de, dê-d-de, uttered first loud and clear, and rapidly falling in tone and decreasing in volume. This is chanted during the morning and the latter part of the day. I have often heard it at different hours of the night, when I have been encamped in the deep forest, and the effect at that time was indescribably sweet and plaintive. The fact that the bird sings often in the night has given it the name of the Nightingale in many places, and the title is well earned."

The inhabitants of Maine mention this bird as singing late in the season. This is caused by his delay in building his nest, which is not done before June. The words used by the Peabody-Bird in his song are thus described in that State :

All day whittling, whittling, whittling, whittling.

SINGING-BIRDS.

THE Singing-Birds, with reference to their songs, are distinguishable into four classes:-The Rapid singers, whose song is uninterrupted, of considerable length, and delivered in apparent ecstasy; the Moderate singers, whose notes are slowly modulated, without pauses or rests between the different strains; the Interrupted singers, who sometimes modulate their notes with rapidity, but make a distinct pause after each strain. The Linnet and the Bobolink are examples of the first class; the common Robin and the Veery of the second; the Red Thrush and particularly the Hermit Thrush of the third. There are other birds whose lay consists only of two or three notes, not sufficient to be called a song. The Bluebird and the Golden Robin are of this class.

June, in this part of the world, is the most tuneful month of the year. Many of our principal songsters do not appear until near the middle of May; but all, whether early or late, continue to sing throughout the month of June. The birds that arrive the latest are not always the latest in returning. The period of time they occupy in song depends chiefly upon the number of broods of young they raise in the year. If they raise but one brood in a season, their period of song is short; if they raise two or more, they may prolong their singing into August. Not one of our New England birds is an autumnal warbler, though the Robin, the Wood-Sparrow, and the SongSparrow are often heard after the first of September. The tuneful season in New England comprises April, May, and the three summer months.

There are certain times of the day, as well as certain seasons of the year, when birds are most musical. The grand concert of the feathered tribe takes place during the hour between dawn and sunrise. During the remainder of the day until evening they have no concerts. Each individual sings according to its habits, but we do not hear them collectively. At sunset there is an apparent attempt to unite once more in chorus, but this is far from being so loud or so general as in the morning, when they suffer less disturbance from man.

There are but few birds whose notes could be accurately described upon the gamut. We seldom perceive. anything like artificial pauses or true musical intervals in their time or melody. Yet they have no deficiency of musical ear, for almost any singing-bird when young may be taught to warble an artificial tune. Birds do not dwell steadily upon one note at any time. They are constantly sliding and quavering, and their songs are full of pointed notes. There are some species whose lays, like those of the Whippoorwill, resemble an artificial modulation, but these are rare. In general their musical intervals cannot be accurately distinguished on account of the rapidity of their utterance. I have often endeavored to transcribe their notes upon the gamut, but have not yet been able to communicate to any person by this means a correct idea of the song, except in a few extraordinary cases. Such attempts are almost useless.

Different individuals of certain species often sing very unlike each other; but if we listen attentively to a number of them, we shall detect in all their songs a theme, as it is termed by musicians, of which they severally warble their respective variations. Every song of any species is, technically speaking, a fantasia constructed upon this theme, from which, though they may greatly

vary their notes, no individual ever departs. The theme of the Song-Sparrow is easily written on the gamut, out of which the bird makes many variations; that of the Robin's song is never more than slightly varied; but I have not been able to detect in the medley of the Bobolink any theme at all.

The song of birds is innate. It is not learned, as some have supposed, from parental instruction; else why should not a Cowbird sing like a Vireo, which is sometimes its foster parent, and would undoubtedly, if this were the usual custom, be as willing to teach the young interloper to sing as to supply it with food? Birds of the same species have by their organization a disposition to utter certain sounds when under the influence of certain feelings. If the young bird learned of its parents, nature would have made the female the singer instead of the male, who, I am confident, would not trouble himself to be a music-teacher, and, if he were willing to take this task upon him, would not select the males only to be his pupils. If we should see repeated instances of the exemplification of their mode of instruction, if we should see the young birds standing around an old cock Robin while he delivers his song, note by note, for the young to imitate, we should have some reason to believe that all male singing-birds are music-teachers as well as performers. But after all, would an old Bobolink ever have patience to repeat his notes slowly to his young for their instruction?

Many birds are, however, imitators of sounds, and will sometimes learn the songs of other birds when confined in a cage near them. The Bobolink when caged near a Canary readily learns its song, but in a wild state he never deviates from his own peculiar medley. Nature has provided each species with notes unlike those of any other as one of the means by which they should