FAMILY Fringillide. 
A musical cadence is perfectly illustrated by the latter 
half of the Vesper Sparrow’s song, which progresses 
downward to the finish at the tonic. There is nothing 
whatever which remotely suggests that structure in the 
White-crown’s song. 
If I described the melody of this Sparrow, I should 
say, it is composed of six, or at most seven notes (unless 
it is doubled) ; the first one is. twice as long as the others 
which are of about even value. The intervals are fairly 
accurate and include anything from a third to a fifth; 
all the notes are clearly whistled except (generally) the 
two next tothe last, and these are distinctly double-toned 
or burred ; the whole is marked by an even crescendo to 
the highest note which is next to or within one of the 
last, or sometimes actually the last. But Mr. Thomp- 
son’s description of the song, if it is taken from the point 
of view which includes sentiment only, is categorically 
correct, for the whistle is almost all clear and it has a soft, 
pleading quality which isirresistibly sweet. Mr. Thomp- 
son also adds that the bird ‘‘resembles his relatives 
in singing his sweetest songs in the woods, sometimes 
during the darkest hours of the night.” Mr. Ned Dear- 
born describes the song of this Sparrow and compares 
the last of it with that of the Vesper Sparrow, which 
might lead one to think the final diminuendo a pro- 
tracted one. He writes, ‘‘The song began with s 
whistle as pure in tone as the notes of the White- 
throated Sparrow, and ended with a vocal diminuendo 
quite similar to the corresponding portion of the Vesper 
Sparrow’s song.” The diminuendo is indeed there, but 
it is a short one, and in comparison with that of the 
Vesper’s performance quite insignificant, for the Ves— 
per’s diminuendo embraces nearly one half of his song, 
and applies to notes of an entirely different and canary- 
like character (see notations of the Vesper). 
The music of the White-crown is very easily recorded, 
there is nothing dubious about his tones or his intervals ; 
he may flat, or even sharp some particularly high note, 
but there is no question about what he is trying to do; 
his ideal is a group of clear, unhurried tones with please 
ing intervals like those in the first lines of the hymn; 
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