184 Moobb, The Fox Sparrow as a Songster, [April 



as No. 7. whore the drop is turned into ;i triplet of three sounds, 



Nos. 3 and 12 where it is doubled, and Nos, I and S. where it lias 

 almost disappeared. These are the only instances and against 

 them 1 heard hundreds, which were all rendered in the positive 

 way No. 9 is. Indeed all my fragments consist without exception 

 of this fundamental phrase and whatever else could he secured 

 before the bird ceased singing. This phrase was obtained invari- 

 ably before other sounds, because it stood (nit so conspicuously. 

 It is always the loudest portion o{ the songs, if there is any change 

 of intensity, and yet the preluding soft notes never approach it by 

 means oi crescendo. When they have danced the melody up to 

 this point, it simply burst? with startling suddenness into the 

 phrase, showering extravagant accents on all three notes. Mr. 

 Cheyney has used the rocket illustration to record his impression 

 of the Hermit Thrush's song, hut it can he more fitly applied to the 

 Fox Sparrow's, though the rocket in this case travels horizontally. 

 It starts in mid-sky and darting along with scintillating but sup- 

 pressed power, suddenly flares out with the accompaniment of 

 dazzling light and triumphant sound; then there is a mighty drop 

 and exultant recovery and a final sputter as it leaps into silence. 

 To use a term oi psychology this central theme is the song's 

 point of orientation or the part which invariably compels attention 

 first. One might call it the recognition-phrase of the species, 

 certainly for human ears, and possibly for birds', (her and over 

 again 1 heard Fox Sparrows' songs far across the hills and always 

 this phrase alone had sufficient carrying power to he audible, yet 

 it was adequate for the immediate identification of the song. And 

 1 think it would be an unconscious recognition-note even for bird- 

 students, who are not musical and could not define it in musical 

 terms. Oi course more obvious to them would be the loudness oi 

 the song, its speed and the flute-like quality of tone. To the birds 

 also it seems fundamental, for as 1 have shown, it is the only phrase 

 of the song which remains constant. But 1 have another bit of 

 evidence, which ought to be convincing. During July when all 

 other notes are dropping off with the waning song-season, this 

 central phrase is kept intact to the very last. Records 6 and 7. 

 secured July 3, show this and more SO No. 11, obtained the same 

 afternoon. The last contains only one sound more than the three 



