EVOLUTION OF BIRD-SONG 



Thus we find that several continental buntings sing 

 like those found in Britain. The same resemblance 

 may be observed in America. Wilson described the 

 notes of the Towhe bunting {E. erythropthalmoi) as 

 something resembling those of the yellow-hammer 

 of Britain, but mellower and more varied {op. cit. 

 vol. i. p. 185). The song of the American black- 

 headed bunting is described as consisting of two notes, 

 the first repeated twice and the second three times, 

 chip chip, che che che. In form and manner these 

 birds very much resemble the yellow-hammer of 

 England {op. cit. vol. i. p. 5 4). I have often heard reed- 

 buntings sing songs of this character. As a rule the 

 songs opened with three notes, cheeo, cheeo, cheeOy 

 followed by a short rattling repetition of a single cry, 

 exactly like that in the song of the yellow bunting. 

 Variations sometimes occurred in the termination. 

 Mr. Harting states that the call-note of the snow- 

 bunting is something like that of the linnet {Birds 

 of Middlesex, p. 75). In The Zoologist for 1874, p. 

 4177, is a reference to the snow-bunting's tinkling 

 note, from which it appears that this is used partly 

 as an alarm and defiance. 



Bechstein states that the agreeable song of the 

 African indigo bird {E. cyaneo) very much resembles 

 that of the linnet {pp. cit. p. 126). Wilson remarks 



