THE MARSH WARBLER'S MUSIC 205 



singer, and I noticed that in listening to the white- 

 winged mocking-bird of Patagonia, which I believe 

 to be the greatest of the genus, he subdued or smalled 

 his voice when imitating the small or weak-voiced 

 songsters, but in spite of the subduing, the song, 

 coming from his larger organ, had gained in power 

 and penetration. With the marsh warbler it is just 

 the reverse: the low songs are reproduced with 

 fidelity, the loud strains while retaining their exact 

 form are emitted in a lower tone. Thus, he can copy 

 the phrases of the thrush, but the notes do not carry 

 much further than his imitation of the willow-wren. 

 One is reminded of Sir John Davies' lines: 



All things received do such proportions take 

 As those things have wherein they are received ; 



So little glasses little faces make, 



And narrow webs on narrow frames be weaved. 



On the other hand he makes many of the songs he 

 copies sweeter and more beautiful than their originals. 

 We may say that he is a perfect artist in his borrow- 

 ings, and brings the songs of all the others into 

 harmony with his own native notes and with one 

 another. This was observed by Warde Fowler, who was 

 the first in England to describe the song. He wrote : "In 

 spite of many imitations in which the bird indulges 

 there is always a very sweet silvery individuality 

 about the song, which makes it quite unmistakable. 

 In that native quality of the voice, its silvery sweet- 

 ness, it comes nearest, I think, to the reed warbler's 

 song. Its silvery-sweet quality is indeed the principal 

 merit of this warbler's strains, which can only be 



