196 EVOLUTION OF BIRD- SONG 



THE SKYLARK 



During the same period the lark sang some kind 

 of an imitation 345 times; the most frequent 

 subjects mimicked being as follows : 



Total Birds which 



Bird imitated. instances. imitated it. 



Cirl-bunting, or Yellow Bunting 53 31 



Swallow ..... 30 20 



Tree-pipit .... 29 19 



Blackbird's alarm ... 21 15 



House-sparrow ... 23 14 



Peewit 21 13 



THE STARLING 



In the same period I recorded 275 instances of 

 some imitation being sung by a starling, of which 

 species only 1 8 birds were observed. Their six 

 favourite subjects appeared to be these : 



Total Starlings which 



Bird imitated. instances. repeated the cry. 



House-sparrow ... 36 14 



Greenfinch .... 22 10 



Yellow or Cirl Bunting's song . 15 i o 



Partridge .... 29 9 



Green Woodpecker . . . 16 9 



Jackdaw .... 22 8 



