The Bad Language of Birds.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7494, 18 April 1899, Page 1

The Bad Language of Birds.

Mr Charles A. Witchell, writing in Knowledge, discusses the language, good and bad, of birds. Malice and love aro not, it) appears, readily distinguishable by the tones of bird song. While the blackbird, starling, chaffinch, and others may bo pouring out the trueßt Jovo notes, the robin, thrush, hedge-sparrow, and others, though also singing, may be using iho very Billingsgate of birds. If a singing robin bo watched, and especially in autumn, ho wul be seen to attack any other singing bird which may bo near ; yet the birds will bo singing all the while, and their songß will be like the ordinary Bongs of the spooiefl, though a trifle sharper in tone. The muaio h evidently intended toconvey the animosity of the birds. The hedgo sparrow twitters in quite a subdued tone when fighting, yet it nevertheless appears to be singing. (The willow wren singa its ordinary song when about to attack a rival. The chiffch&ff, however, does not employ his oheerlnl strain on the like occasion. The nightingale is somewhat pugnacious, and I have several times seen two fighting (1 once saw three), but no song notes were then given." In a few caßcs the combativeness of a bird ll fairly well suggested by its cry - as ocoors in the common fowl, whose " crow " is as defiant as a bugle blast. The cooing of a dove* or the warbling of a fluent singer, may Beetti to be as expressive as the purr of a cat, " but when attention is given to tho action! which accompany tho cries of birds an observer finds that some very pleasant sound* are incidental to very unkind behavior.''^