FIELD SPARROW. 
Mr. Chapman recognizes the fact that the song has many 
variations besides possessing the rare beauty of perfect 
sweetness, and his opinion is well worth quoting. ‘‘ His 
song is in keeping with his character, being an unusually 
clear, plaintive whistle, sweeter to the lover of birds’ 
songs than the voice of the most gifted songstress” (one 
can not quite agree with that who has heard the great 
artist Marcella Sembrich sing!) ‘‘ Not only do the same 
individuals sing several different songs, but two indi- 
viduals in the same locality rarely sing alike, There is 
also much variation in the songs of birds from different 
regions . . . . to be convinced of its” (the song’s) 
‘‘rare beauty one need only hear it as the sun goes 
down and the hush of early evening is quieting the 
earth.” That is so well said that I need add nothing 
further except the suggestion that the Field Sparrow is 
certainly Nature’s best exponentof the principle of Plain- 
Song, i. e. the Chant. One need not for a moment sup- 
pose it is necessary to have a wide range of voice and sing 
a catching tune to creditably produce a song. No, music 
is the artistic expression of thought and character, and 
for that reason and none other the pathetic monotones 
of the Field Sparrow charm us; we do not care whether 
he sings a tune or not, he may keep straight along on one 
note * or not as he chooses, we are satisfied to know that 
he sings with a depth of expression unsurpassed by any 
of Nature’s greatest songsters. There is a certain rever- 
ential character to his song, too, which is reminiscent of 
one of the Psalms of David chanted by the church choir, 
but it needs a slight alteration to express the sentiment 
of the Sparrow : 
O be joyful in the Lord all day long, 
And come before his presence with a song. 
When the shadows lengthen into irregular blotches of 
misty iilac on the slopes of the stony pasture and the 
light has turned golden in the west, somewhere in the 
tangle of blackberry briers not far away there is a 
modest singer filling the silent air with the sober mono- 
* Mr. Bradford Torrey in his Birds in the Bush thinks that he 
does: see page 40 of that delightful little book. 
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