372 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. Ill, No. 4^ 



mine the pitch with considerable accuracy. AVith regard to the 

 long opening notes I speak with great confidence for I took 



down a long series on two oc- 

 casions and found the pitch 

 unchanged. From these obser- 

 vations I determined that the 

 thrush used phrases in the fol- 



lowing keys. I heard no 

 others and never detected any 

 flatting or sharping. It will be noticed that these keys form 

 part of the scale of A flat major. In this, and in fact in the 

 whole song, the approximation to the human scale was striking. 



The hermit's song consisted, nine times out of ten, in a regu- 

 lar alternation of low with high phrases. Two in succession on 

 or near the same level he never in my hearing gave, but he would 

 sometimes ascend or descend through a series of three different 

 keys. There was no fixed order nor any necessary key relation 

 between successive phases. I have long lists of such and am 

 certain that the bird uttered his theme in whatever key suited his 

 fancy so long as it was not a repetition of the theme just uttered. 

 For example, one series began with a low B flat followed by a high 

 A flat, then a middle F, then an upper B flat, then dropped to low 

 A flat, soared up two octaves to high A flat, dropped to middle B 

 flat, then down to low E flat. This continual alteration of key 

 was the most striking thing about the hermit's song, apart from 

 its regularity and accuracy of pitch. It suggested somehow the 

 orchestral handling of a theme by a musical composer, and made 

 it beyond comparison more interesting as a performance than the 

 simple repetitions of the olive backed thrush, or the endless 

 variet}' of the thrasher. 



The utterance of the theme was for all the lower forms distinct 

 and without portamoito. Now and then, although rarely, the 

 bird gave his triplet or quadruplet notes a vibratory " trill," and 

 in the very highest phrases the distinctness of vocalization was 

 much diminished. The bird's voice never broke on its highest 

 notes but his enunciation became somewhat indistinct, although 

 never to such an extent as to disguise the form of his theme. 



The voice of the hermit thrush was made individual by o^•er- 

 tones giving it a considerable richness and penetration and even 

 a metalic burr or buzz. It suggested somewhat the reed-quality 

 of the oboe superadded to a flute's open tone. Direct comparison 

 was possible onh- with the piano, a bugle and a flute, and need- 

 less to say, it was far closer to the last named, but very much 

 more vil^rant, less hollow. The "burr" was audible at short 

 ranges only. At a hundred yards or less it blended to give the 

 voice a singularly ringing metalic quality which gave it a carry- 

 ing power unapproached by any other bird of tliat region. It 



