°1913 ' Wright, Morning Awakeming and Even-song. 525 



two Chipping Sparrows sang at 2.46; a Robin gave a few notes 

 at 2.54 and began to sing freely at 3.04 o'clock. The record of 

 June 10, L905, may further illustrate the position taken: Song 

 Sparrow sang at 2.40, 2.48, 2. 55, and a second bird at 2.57; Chip- 

 ping Sparrow sang at 2.48; two Robins began to sing simultaneously 

 at '.', o'clock. And the record of July 9, 1900, may be given as a 

 third illustration : Song Sparrow, 2. ."34 and 3.0.") ; ( 'hipping Sparrow, 

 2.58 ;iikI 3.05; Robin, 3.08 o'clock. The records of 1913 furnish 

 similar testimony. On June 8 a Song Sparrow 7 sang at 2.58 and a 

 second bird at 2.59; Chipping Sparrow sang at 2.59 and a second 

 bird at 3.09; Robin sang at 3.02 and a second bird at 3.10 o'clock. 

 On June 21 a Chipping Sparrow sang at 2.34, a second bird at 2.52, 

 and the first bird again at 2.57; Song Sparrow sang at 2.54 and a 

 second bird at 2.55; Robin sang at 3.01, a second bird at 3.08, and a 

 third bird at 3.12 o'clock. On June 23, in a different location from 

 June 21 and a half-mile distant, a Chipping Sparrow sang at 2.34, 

 again at 2.53, and a second bird at 3.01; Song Sparrow sang twice 

 at 2.43, a second bird at 2.47, the first bird again at 2.54, and a 

 third and a fourth bird at 2.56; Robin began to sing at 2.58 o'clock. 

 One other supporting reason for the view 7 that the very early songs 

 of Song Sparrow 7 and Chipping Sparrow 7 are true songs of awakening 

 may be named. The infrequent repetition of earliest song in the 

 awakening is characteristic also of even-song, for the records show 

 that the last songs are often given at long intervals and the final 

 one or two renderings may be many minutes after the next preced- 

 ing. This is characteristic also of the Savannah and White- 

 throated Sparrows only to a less degree, for these also commonly 

 give a song or two in awakening some minutes earlier than they 

 come into constant song. The Vesper Sparrow on the contrary 

 usually takes up free singing promptly after its first song. 



A marked exception on one occasion, July 1, 1912, was a Robin 

 beginning to sing at 2.38, or 88 minutes before sunrise. This 

 bird continued its song for 00 minutes, or about 20 minutes longer 

 than is the usual period of first song. A second bird, beginning to 

 sing at 3.07, paused at 3.53, or after 46 minutes of song, that is, 

 within the usual time limits. I have regarded this instance as an 

 exception and not included the record in drawing up the average 

 time of first song of the Robin, since among many records in the 



