File:Birds and nature (1905) (14753261054).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature21905chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Often the first indication of the pres-ence of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets aretheir somewhat garrulous and gratingcall-notes. These notes sometimes precedeits marvellously beautiful and powerfulsong. This song is noted for its soft-ness, sweetness, and its brightness andvigor of expression. Mr. Ridgway hasdescribed the song as an inexpressiblydelicate and musical warble, astonish-ingly protracted at times, and most beau-tifully varied by softly rising and failingcadences, and the most tender whistlingsimaginable. It hardly seems possiblethat such a loud and powerful a songcould emanate from the throat of sosmall a bird. Dr. Coues has said: Thesound-producing organ is not larger thana pinhead, and the muscles that move itare almost microscopic shreds of flesh,yet its song may be heard two hundredyards. The song must be heard, for itckfies description and any syllabic ren-dering of the notes is unsatisfactory.One of the best descriptions of this ex-quisite song is that of Mr. Chapman. It
Text Appearing After Image:
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. (Regrulus calendula). About Life size. COPYRIGHT 1900 V. MUMFORO, CHICAGO was the first time that he had heard theKinglet sing. He says: The bird wasin the tree tops in the most impassablebit of woods near my house. The longerand more eagerly I followed the unseensinger the greater the mystery became.It seemed impossible that a bird which Isupposed was at least as large as a blue-bird could escape observation in thepartly leaved trees. The song was mel-low and flute-like, and loud enough tobe heard several hundred yards; an in-tricate warble past imitation or descrip-tion, and rendered so admirably that Inever hear it now without feeling an im-pulse to applaud. The bird is so small,the song so rich and full, that one is re-minded of a chorister with the voice ofan adult soprano. To extend the com- parison, one watches this gifted but un-conscious musician flitting about thetrees with somewhat the feeling that oneobserves the choir-boy doffing his sur-plice and jo

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