20 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



and ear racking, but occasionally deeper and almost melodious. Certain indi- 

 viduals repeat notes or even series of notes that are not unattractive, and may 

 even be called musical. These are not common but may be heard every spring, 

 and, on mild days, even as early as January. At the height of the morning chorus, 

 for such it must be called, there is at times a distinct rhythm, caused by some of 

 the birds keeping time. This chirping rhythm I have frequently tried to count 

 but generally without success, for each bird appears to chirp manfully on his own 

 hook without regard to time. I have, however, sometimes found its rate to be 

 60 or 70 times a minute, slowing down to 40 on hot days. In this respect the 

 Sparrow differs directly from the cold blooded insect that sings faster the hotter 

 the weather. 



Ernest Thompson Seton (1901) tells a remarkable story of an Eng- 

 lish sparrow that was hatched in a cage by canaries and learned to 

 sing. 



It escaped and was frequently heard to sing "a loud sweet song, 

 much like that of a Canary." I wrote to Thompson-Seton, to learn 

 if the story was just pure fiction. He replied that he met the bird 

 many years ago in Toronto, and that "in the main the story is founded 

 on fact," but he "expounded and developed the details." The story, 

 "A Street Troubadour," is attractively written and well worth reading 

 as a character study. 



We have other evidences of singing ability. Dr. Dayton Stoner 

 (1942) writes of a versatile captive English sparrow: "This unique 

 sparrow possessed various types of vocal ability which he utilized to 

 express insistence concerning certain kinds of food, absence of the 

 cage cover at night, general well-being, disgust and the like. More- 

 over, he acquired a remarkable proficiency in singing ability through 

 the medium of two canaries which were his companions — in separate 

 cages — for about six years. His imitations of the 'rolling' notes of the 

 one and the 'chopping' notes of the other were sometimes so well done 

 as to deceive even his mistress." Furthermore, Tilford Moore has 

 sent me the following note: "Sept. 15, 1941. I heard a male in the 

 honeysuckle beside my bed actually sing today. He was uttering the 

 usual harsh chatterings of his kind, but about once a minute he'd 

 substitute a short song for a squawk. The song was a thin and 

 squeaky but rather pretty one, with tut-tut at beginning and end. Not 

 a warble, it varied over several notes, was rather like an incomplete 

 song which I have heard from a white-throat." 



Field marks. — This impudent and aggressive little pest is easily 

 recognized by its behavior, its familiarity, and its noisy chirps and 

 chatter. The male is a handsome fellow in fresh, clean plumage, 

 with his black bib, gray crown, and conspicuous markings of chestnut, 

 black, and white about the head. The female is more soberly colored, 

 lacking the conspicuous markings about the head, but similar to the 

 male above and below. 



