196 



EVOLUTION OF BIRD- SONG 



The Skylark 



During the same period the lark sang some kind 

 of an imitation 345 times ; the most frequent 

 subjects mimicked being as follows : — 



Bird imitated. 



Cirl-bunting, or Yellow Bunting 



Swallow . 



Tree-pipit 



Blackbird's alarm 



House-sparrow 



Peewit . 



The Starling 



In the same period I recorded 275 instances of 

 some imitation being sung by a starling, of which 

 species only 18 birds were observed. Their six 

 favourite subjects appeared to be these : — 



