ARCHETYPAL CRIES 137 



tion, and it is only mentioned here as suggesting a 

 possible alternative to the marvellous force of heredity 

 in the perpetuation of exact tones over vast areas. 



This prevalence of tones has, I think, been 

 demonstrated. It is rational to conclude that such 

 family cries have been employed during a much 

 longer period of time than songs, which are varied 

 locally and individually ; and that the original cries 

 of the various kinds are recorded in their danger- 

 cries and call-notes, and that the tones of later- 

 developed cries, and modes of singing, are indicated 

 in the first parts of songs, for these have the most 

 generic characters. 



The sounds next in order of prevalence differ 

 specifically. These are songs. 



Each distinct kind of birds may be said to have 

 its class-tone, which we may consider as archetypal. 

 In the crow family a simple cah or a croak seems to 

 be the family cry. The gulls have a short loud 

 scream, greatly varied. The thrushes, with the 

 robin, nightingale, hedge-accentor, common titmice, 

 wren, and many other insectivorous arboreal birds, 

 utter a very short, and often very soft squeak for a 

 call-note. The cry of the migrating redwing may be 

 considered as of the same nature ; and, in this 

 connection, I should have stated on p. 101 that I 



