° 1912 J Wright, Morning Awakening and Even-Song. 313 



close approximations to the true rather than as absolutely exact. 

 And it should also be understood that the entire paper is the result 

 of the author's records and individual experience in this mountain 

 hamlet. 



The order of awakening follows in detail. It should be borne 

 in mind that the time of the earliest sunrise within the period of 

 the season covered is 4.02 o'clock. 



1. The Song Sparrow {Melospiza melodia melodia) breaks 

 forth into song in an occasional way first of all the birds, much as it 

 has sometimes been heard to do in the hours of the night, giving, 

 it may be, a single rendering or two only. A second and a third 

 bird usually promptly follow the first, also singing in this occasional 

 way, and thereby differentiating this singing from the casual 

 expression of song of a single bird in the night hours. The earliest 

 recorded time of song is 2.40 o'clock. On six other occasions the times 

 of first song have been 2.47, 2.52, 2.54 (twice), 2.56, and 2.59 o'clock. 

 On four occasions the first song was at 3 and on one other at 3.10 

 o'clock. This occasional singing at intervals often continues for 

 forty-five minutes, and then the songsters give themselves over to 

 song for a period, their voices becoming more prominent in the 

 morning chorus. The records of these twelve occasions establish 

 the average time of the first song as ^.56 o'clock. The average 

 time of more free and constant singing is 3.36 o'clock. The very 

 infrequent repetition of the song for the first forty-five minutes, 

 or thereabouts, constitutes the Song Sparrow an inconspicuous 

 first songster, while it really is the earliest in point of time, based 

 upon averages of records. 



2. The Chipping Sparrow's {Spizella passerina passerina), 

 earliest record for song is 2.45 o'clock. There are twelve records 

 of first song between 2.45 and 3.15 o'clock. These establish the 

 average time as 2.58 o'clock. As in the case of the Song Sparrow, 

 the Chippy gives its trill, it may be, a single utterance or two only, 

 and other repetitions may not come for some minutes; then an- 

 other considerable pause may follow. But the second, third, and 

 usually a fourth bird without much delay awakening to sing in 

 this occasional manner, the singing must be regarded as the expres- 

 sion of morning song and be distinguished from the casual utterance 

 of a single bird in the hours of the night, which is of a transient 



