. Bird-lore . infrequently, early in May, and the bull frog very commonly towards itsclose, but the batrachian voices most characteristic of this month are theharsh squawk of the garden toad, already described, and the love notesof the tree toad. During the brief period—scarce exceeding a week—which the male of the species last-named spends with the female in thewater (where the eggs are laid) before returning to his favorite hollowbranch in some old orchard or forest tree, he and his comrades of thesame sex fill the marshes in the late afternoon and through the nightwith the sound of their jo
. Bird-lore . infrequently, early in May, and the bull frog very commonly towards itsclose, but the batrachian voices most characteristic of this month are theharsh squawk of the garden toad, already described, and the love notesof the tree toad. During the brief period—scarce exceeding a week—which the male of the species last-named spends with the female in thewater (where the eggs are laid) before returning to his favorite hollowbranch in some old orchard or forest tree, he and his comrades of thesame sex fill the marshes in the late afternoon and through the nightwith the sound of their joyous contralto voices. The rather pleasing,rolling notes which they utter at this time are not essentially different Voices of a New England Marsh 53 from those which we occasionally hear in our orchards in summer,especially just before a rain, but they are now given more rapidly andat shorter intervals as well as with much greater spirit. During the last two weeks of May and the first ten days of June the. ; black KAII,. iCJnu-half natural si/.c) bird voices of the marshes are at their fullest and best. The Robins andSong Sparrows, it is true, arc comparatively silent at this time, but all theother species continue to sing with undiminished fervor, at least during thecooler hours, while several of them may be heard now with greater certaintyor to greater advantage than at any other season. The first signs of deca-dence are usually noted about the middle of June. Hefore its close theBitterns, Rails and Gallinules become silent, and the Hobolinks nearly so,while the songs of the Marsh Wrens, Yellow Warblers, Maryland Yellow-throats and Reil-wings steadily decline in vigor and frequency. There is a voice, evidentl\ that of a bird, and almost without (juestionbelonging to some kind of Rail, but not as yet dehnitely identified, whichhas been heard in the Fresh Pond marshes during one season onls; viz., inJune, lH(S9. It has since been noted at one or tu<j other simil
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