1922. BuRKiTT. — Birds', Song. 125 



I conclude with a few queries. 



Does song imply, as all the above might suggest, a 

 propensity to breed ? I could wish it were something 

 more beautiful. Or is it that breeding merely reduces or 

 quenches song activity for the time being ? Assuming 

 that song implies a propensity to breed, what is the rationale 

 of song being at special times of the day as recorded above, 

 especially noting the song at the two dusks, or its absence ? 

 How late in the season do these two songs continue in 

 England ? 



WTiat about song when in flocks such as that of the 

 Redwing and of some Starling flocks in autumn ? (I forget 

 whether the Redwing sings before the new year). 



Some Starlings sing when in flocks here after the middle 

 of September, and also at roosting sites. These Starling 

 flocks seem to a certain extent to be collections of pairs, 

 judging by the way the birds fly off, just as is the case 

 with Jackdaws, though the latter 's pairing is m.uch more 

 pronounced. Might it be the non-paired ones which sing ? 

 Most of my autumn Starling song comes from single birds 

 on chimneys. The song and chattering and tendenc}^ to 

 pair from flocks in autumn seems comparable to what 

 happens at the noisy spring pairing assemblies of Black- 

 headed Gulls. The Redwings may be acting similarly 

 under a mating impulse, though they must keep together 

 till they leave this countrj^. 



Since writing the above a correspondent from Surrc}/, 

 Miss G. M. Towsey, mentions a Thrush which appears to 

 have sung (for two years) in every month from November 

 to July, inclusive. In last May, June and July it had 

 no really silent period all through the rearing of two and 

 probably three broods. In these months it had three 

 particularly brilHant bursts, one at least of which continued 

 from beginning of nest to half through incubation . My corres- 

 pondent has little or no doubt that this bird was the parent 

 and thus it would upset all my experience of earlier broods. 



Enniskillen. 



