THE SIMPLEST SONGS 51 



the latter stage the pace is accelerated towards 

 the close. The hedge-sparrow repeats his squeak, 

 then two or three very rapid notes at a lower 

 pitch, then his squeak again ; and by repeating 

 this performance more than once, he produces a 

 song which embodies several repetitions of his 

 common call-squeak. These repeated squeaks are 

 uttered at the same pitch, and often the phrase is 

 concluded with one of them. A similar method of 

 singing is constantly exhibited by the brown wren, 

 and sometimes even by the robin. The pied 

 wagtail at first departs but little from a mere 

 repetition of his call ; but later in the spring he 

 manages to construct a sort of jumbled song, in 

 which, however, his habitual notes still predominate. 

 Thus also the cushat gradually elaborates his song 

 or coo ; the stock - dove never exceeds the bare 

 repetition of a short, jerky coo ; and the domestic 

 cockerel repeats a succession of alarm-yells when 

 first he attains the power to essay a crow. The 

 yellow bunting repeats a note which he often 

 utters it may be suggested by either jip or jink 

 and by means of such repetitions he produces 

 the first part of that song which country folk have 

 likened to the words, A little bit of bread and 

 no cheese. The willow - warbler repeats his alarm 



