New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
BIRD LIFE IN JULY.
BEFORE THE MONTH ENDS MOST OF
THE SONGS ARE OVER-ATTRAC-
TIVE LITTLE MOTHERS.

I'm this month of July begin-for lovers of bird
song-the melancholy days, the saddest of the
year. for before IT passes the song season is over
says Olive Thorne Miller. There are, IL is true
two or three faithful ones, who do desert us
entirely. AS Thoreau says: Some birds are poets
and sing all summer Such are the happy song
sparrow. the CHEEKY robin and the dainty indigo
bird. But all the thrushes have fallen to silence
orioles and bobolinks have subsided into demure
heads of families, devoting themselves exclusively
to training the rising generation, with thoughts
already beginning to turn toward the long Journey
before them.
Bird song has not been thoroughly studied
as it deserves. bat enough is known to make it
deeply interesting. The old notions that birds
are limited to two or three expressions and that
all of species exactly reproduce the notes of
another have long been exploded among those
who have given serious attention to little
brothers Mr. Cheney, who studied the matter
critically and has given us book of bird songs
carefully reduced to musical scale, recognizes
great difference between Individuals of the
species 7 find and that birds ex-
temporize' he says, and that those of the same
species do not sing alike This must be the
perience of every close student who has musical
VARIETIES OF SONGS.
Besides the fact that early two birds of
species sing the song. it is interesting note
that many of them-nost. indeed. that have stud
ied-have certain different. well defined utterances,
which may be cassed The love song. the
song (of great Variety. the whisper song and
the fight song.
The love song is that which blesses us on the
arrival of the birds in wooing mood 1t is ecsatic
and probably the best a bird do. To enjoy 1t
one needs not only to be early in the morning.
but in the fields promptly with the opening of the
season For. when the bride is won. the home
established and the singer settled down enter
tain his mate and await time when the cher
ished shells give up their precious contents. and
nests are Drumming over with the load of downy
breasts and throbbing wings, the song becomes the
calmly happy. characteristic and greatly varied
utterance which may call the summer song
1t is then that the bird has leisure to vary change
and elaborate his theme. and it is particularly
interesting time study him.
Sometimes one is so happy as to overhear what
have called the birds whisper song. One must
be very and very unobtrusive for It be
heard only the distance of a few yards, being
delivered with nearly quite closed beak, and
by means intended for the public There
is dreamy. rapturous quality in this song which
differentiates II from all others. II seems to be
simply solioquy. irrepressble Subbling over OF
his joy of life and it gives emphatic denial to the
opinion held by many persons that bird lives in
constant terror of his life. No who has heard
that song resist the belief that 1t comes from
a serene and joyous spirit Birds are always alert
but 1t is unthinkable that they always in fear.
The flight song is perhaps rare. and GER
tainly different. Not all birds are known TO in
dulSe IN TINS particular form or expression. This
utterance. while unlike the others usually intro
duces strains from the common song. or the family
call. which readily Identifies the singer. The oven
bird for example. while pouring out his rhapsody
sailing about ones head often in the dusk
OF late afternoon interpolates an occasional
Teacher! teacher, teacher" which proclaims him
nj once. The bewitching little Maryland yellow
throat. while delivering himself on wing. cannot re-
frain from a betraying Wichita wichita wichita-
which IS equivalent to shouting his name
THE VOICE OF THE ROBIN
While songs differ with individuals, with sea
son, with emotions. and even with age there is
still always a certain family quality by which one
arrange their simple notes in the same way vet
one never fails 10 recognize the voice OF a robin
II is the same with orioles thrushes and all others
There is sometimes a OF family resemblance
In the songs OF two three robins of a neighhor-
hood. which suggests the thought that they NAV
be brothers. and have learned from father. I
once knew Baltimore orioles who were ex-
cSedingly friendly with one another and nested
near together, who sang exactly the same notes
but II was the only case | met with.
IT Is easier 70 learn 10 identify birds bv their
call notes, and their notes OF alarm and warming
than by their songs. These are about the same
all give the called a laugh as well as other
common sounds; all phoebes shout the beloved name
from the barn roof. and all least hycatchers Jerk
out chebec by the hour; the olive sided fyca tcher
tribe 70 a bird drawl out their see here from the
top OF a tree. and with many others But one
and all of these birds are capable OF more elab-
the case Of those mentioned. and perhaps most OF OF
the birds we credit with having only the loud call
seasons of indulging in quite different utterances
Though song Is dropping OFF during July, and
goes on nearly In silence. bird affairs have not