Ten Spring Bird Lists 185 



times very close imitations of notes by varions birds. The 

 mockingbird, its name gives evidence, is especially notable 

 in this respect. Two of its common and nearly perfe(^t imi- 

 tations in this region are the ordinary calls of the l)ob- 

 white and killdeer. Dr. A. K. Fisher tells of hearing a 

 mocker give iii quick succession reproductions of calls or 

 songs of the Carolina wren, tufted titmouse, flicker, robin 

 and meadowlark. The mockingbird's congeners, the brown 

 thrasher and catbird, also, are by no means lacking in 

 imitative ability. 



A species noted as a mocker in Europe and which since 

 its introduction has become common here, namely, the 

 starling, has as yet, in the United States, received little 

 recognition for its powers as a mimic. However, it copies 

 notes of the bluebird and wood pewee to perfection. I have 

 on a number of occasions heard the call of the lasl -named 

 species closely imitated also by the white-eyed vireo.* 



Further illustration of the difficulties in identifying 

 notes is to be found in the fact that some birds vocalize 

 in dual roles (this includes all having flight songs), and 

 rarely a species may sing entirely out of character. The 

 grassliopper sparrow, and the Maryland yellow-tliroat are 

 examples of species eacli having two utterly diiferent 

 types of songs. On the spring-bird trip of 1021 a song 

 was heard from a bird perched on a wire along an open 

 field with scattered bushes and small trees. The song 

 seemed to be that of Bachman's spai*row, a steady trill 

 followed by three distinct louder notes, and the habitat 

 confirmed the impression. Before a good view was ob- 

 tained the bird flew down to a small pine, and we 

 cautiously approached, confidently expecting to add this 

 rather rare finch to our list^ but to our amazement the 

 bird proved to be an ovcii-hird. It was in an entirely ab- 



*Witmer Stone (The Auk, Vol. 38, No. 2, April 1921, p. 290) 

 expressed doubt that such mimicry is very frequent among our 

 birds, but the number of examples cited for one area indicates that 

 for the United States a considerable showing of the phenomenon 

 could be made. 



