FAMILY Fringilliae. 
there is no tune to his song—leastwise, one can claim 
only a suggestion of a tune! But we can always rely 
upon the bird’s rhythm; it is utterly unlike that of the 
Robin, and possesses a smooth and graceful flow not to 
be excelled by the best of our woodland songsters, the 
Thrushes not excepted, In Arlington Heights, Mass., I 
obtained a record of one of the most even-flowing songs 
of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak I have ever heard; it 
shows a far greater range of voice than Mr. Cheney’s 
record, but, as usual, there was no accuracy of pitch, 
Again, on Linnzan Street, Cambridge, I obtained an- 
other smooth and even record scarcely inferior: 
Moderato f£ rallent. G&S 
a) 
my’ 
The grace notes,here indicate an indefinite fall of the voice. 
Nearly all the songs show at the end a rising inflection 
of the voice, which is given in a most enticing and per- 
suasive manner. Only the Purple Finch can equal the 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak in this bit of pure sentimental- 
ity, and in the case of both birds the effect is certainly 
very telling. 
To the rising and falling inflections of this.Grosbeak’s 
voice, it is therefore reasonable to suppose one may at- 
tribute the sentimental character of the song. Such an 
element is wholly absent in the Robin’s music, and on 
that account alone from a musician’s point of view the 
songs of the two birds must certainly be considered ab- 
solutely dissimilar. 
Most writers on birds are not less than enthusiastic 
T2324 f 
