ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 
The old adage that ‘‘ there ’s more than one way of k.:1- 
ing a cat” applies to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s song 
in musical notation, for, furthermore. if we turn to 
Mr. Cheney’s Wood Notes Wild, we find the follow. 
ing, which bears not the slightest resemblance to my 
own records given above! 
Loud and rapid Mr. Cheney record 
But Mr. Cheney admits writing this music from memory 
though with a feeling of confidence in the accuracy of its 
main features and spirit. 
I, also, can see the accuracy of the record, and by 
whistling the tune in the Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s way 
conjure up a very tolerable idea of what Mr. Cheney 
must have heard. If, therefore, I write this bit of music 
as I whistle it, its appearance must be different from that 
of Mr. Cheney’s writing, thus: 
é-=100 
Con spirito. (The tone. slightly purred) 
aa Se et 
‘AL, UST] P@euPMr! | Feuer! | F | | Bug | A 
AP botcit pote ot tot tte 
4) ee / ee en ee "_ * <2 
‘Cy f _3| ait—is 3 a Oe 2 i 
ee Tee es | a SS _ eee] 1 DR “A I) 
JERE UY AE OY PORES 8 Ta) 
53 12 a MR CS, Sa EER 
The difference is attributable to the facts that the slurs, 
in my estimation, are important and inseparable from a 
proper rendering of this bird’s music, the burring tones 
are similarly important, and the pitch of the bird’s tones 
being indefinite my rendering requires a slight variation 
of the notes. For that matter it must become very evi- 
dent to one who studies this bird’s music carefully, that 
he is woefully lacking in pitch. There is no certainty 
about his tones; in every instance it is a questionable C, 
D, or E, and one has to supply the deficiency. Hence 
the bird never sings his song out of tune, simply because 
133 
