on the imitative power of birds.



329



my Blue-bearded Jay, although the latter bird died seven years ago :

it is not therefore surprising, if an adult example learns and retains

permanently the notes of other species, that young nestlings should

often acquire and incorporate with, or substitute for, their proper

song that uttered by some loud-tongued neighbour.


The song of birds is supposed to have originated from the

more simple call and alarm-notes repeated and modified : they still

frequently recur as parts of the song ; indeed, as Charles Witchell

points out, the goldfinch, house-sparrow and linnet appear to con¬

struct their songs wholly of call-notes and danger-cries, and he

indicates many other British species whose songs consist chiefly of

a repetition of single cries.


Although Witchell mentions certain birds, the females of wh;ch

are recorded by Rennie as singing, viz. ; the redstart, blackbird, willow-

warbler and bullfinch, I think he is wrong in his statement that

“ songs are generally uttered by male birds only.” I think he should

have said that song is more characteristic of male than of female

birds. The hen green singing finch, canary, siskin, goldfinch, skylark,

and probably numerous others are able to sing and do sometimes

enliven us: Witchell admits that the female starling sings, and he

quotes Bechstein’s authority for the subdued warbling of both sexes

of the nightingale when courting. As both sexes hear the song of

their father while in the nest, it would be rather strange if male

youngsters alone acquired the power of imitating it in after life;

but as the song of birds is an expression of excitement and, so far

as one can judge by watching birds in aviaries, seems not to be in

the least attractive to their wives, the less excitable hens cannot be

expected to sing so frequently as their husbands.


Song-thrushes sometimes sing when fighting, as F, St. Mars

points out in his nature-story in the Red Magazine for Sept. 1st,

p. 440 : loud music will also start them off and especially a brass

band, as too naturally the pursuit of the female : but it has always

seemed to me that hen birds were more scared than attracted by their

lovers’ musical efforts ; on the other hand the soft love-calls do

appear to please them.


In captivity, many birds whose song consists only of harsh

call-notes or screeches can be taught both to whistle tunes and talk :



