FAMILY Fringillide. 
monotonous trill, but as a matter of fact it is nothing of 
the kind! Chippy’s tones may be monotonous, but they 
are not trilled. The bird simply reiterates with consid- 
erable rapidity one tone, thus: 
d =160 eres. Three times 3pa. & off the keyboard! — 
ye Perr Pr eer Pre ee eee 
if aa 
A trill is distinctly a rapid alternation of two separate 
tones, and there is not a suspicion of that in the Chippy’s 
song. On the contrary, it has not even the suppressed 
introductory grace-note of the noisy Flicker’s monoto- 
nous performance! Yet Dr. Coues says of the bird— 
‘He has at times a song quite different from the sharp, 
monotonous trill so characteristic of springtime.” Now, 
we need not question the varied conditions of so limited 
a performance; they exist, but they are worth neither 
attention nor record. They simply consist of a series of 
rhythmic interruptions, like this: 
Three times 8va. 
2? SIP 00 ee eT 
FS AN 2 
KGa} al 
The ‘‘ trill,” however, is a musical term employed with- 
out a full knowledge of its significance. Mr. Cheney, 
after quoting Dr. Coues’s description of the song, re- 
marks, ‘‘ Without doubt he has” a different song, ‘‘ but 
the monotonous ‘ trill’ being a succession of rapid tones 
upon the same degree, can hardly be called a trill.” 
That is a musician’s verdict! Other authors make the 
same error in describing the song. Mr. J. B. Grant 
says—‘‘ His note is a trill of considerable duration, sug- 
gestive of the sound of the cicada.” 
The Chipping Sparrow has a most friendly nature and 
not infrequently he hops within the bounds of the door- 
sill for any proffered bread crumbs or other food. His 
nest is quite often lodged in the vines of the piazza 
trellis, and it is a common thing for him to awake in 
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