April 

majority of efforts to put a bird’s notes into 
black and white. It is the most characteristic 
and promising call-note I have ever heard. 
Reference will be made to the song later. 
In this connection it may be said that perhaps 
the commonest error in song-description is the 
frequent allusion of all writers to a bird’s z7z2/— 
a thing very seldom heard. ‘This is a con- 
venient word for describing a peculiarly brilliant 
and beautiful phase of its vocalization, and with 
a clear understanding of its general inaccuracy 
I suppose it is admissible to perpetuate the 
monosyllabic falsehood. 
From now on it is an experience of parting 
with old friends as well as greeting new ones. 
By the middle of the month the fox sparrows, 
so abundant and singing so freely during all 
their stay, had quite disappeared. Coming out 
of a cloudy sky with an avalanche of song, they 
leave one of the pleasantest and most distinct 
memories of early spring, like the anemone, and 
have passed on into an anticipation of the next 
year. Very companionable withall other birds, 
they had a delightful way of making themselves 
quite at home during their short visit, without 
becoming obnoxious, like the grackles ; the best 
sort of company, that comes to entertain as well 
117 
