VA RIA TION IN BIRD- VOICES 1 49 



rather flat in relation to the others, which are fairly 

 correctly represented in this bar. As spring advanced 

 the bird acquired a few other notes, always uttered 

 after the others, but the same phrase was still his 

 main theme. Next year it constituted about one- 

 half of the songs of the old blackbird in our garden ; 

 and in 1891 it was often repeated, also in 1892. 

 In 1893 I heard the same phrase sung three times 

 in succession by an old blackbird in the garden. 

 Blackbirds are with us throughout the year, and 

 always roost in the same spots, which circum- 

 stances give occasion for the surmise that the same 

 singer was with us throughout four years, and 

 elaborated his notes from one kind of song to many 

 others. 



Bechstein also observed that the song of the 

 chaffinch varied in different countries (Cage Birds, 

 p. 35). Prof. Newton remarks (in a note on 

 p. 550 of Yarrell's British Birds, 4th ed.) that 

 to the best of his belief " the call-notes and songs 

 of some other species as the wheatear and the 

 redstart differ with the country in which they are 

 heard." Local variations in the song of the yellow- 

 hammer have been observed by Mr. W. Ward 

 Fowler, who wrote : " The yellow-hammers in South 

 Dorset in 1886 struck me as singing in a different 



