540 



Oldys, A Remarkable Hermit Thrush Song. 



[Auk 

 LOct. 



In the song heard at Pompanoosuc, howeverj there was a very 

 perceptible normal order of the basal notes and their dependent 

 phrases, and that order made a harmonic progression such as com- 

 pletely satisfies the requirements of human music. The basal 

 notes, together with the chords founded on them, arranged in 

 what was palpably the normal order were — 



4=± 



&m 



^3 



7 



Here we have a very attractive, and at the same time a very 

 human, harmonic progression — from B to E minor, then to A 

 with the minor seventh (C# being the basal note), which leads 

 naturally into D. If this combination of chords be played over and 

 over, with the fact borne in mind that it represents the untaught 

 music of a wild bird, its remarkable character will be well under- 

 stood. 



The principal phrases were interspersed with the light refrain 

 previously mentioned, which did not differ substantially from 

 the form of those noted at Hebron and many other places. 



The fact that the order of the harmonies here given was the 

 normal one is abundantly shown by the following extract from a 

 long record I made of the basal notes as the bird sang them — this 

 extract also shows the frequency of the light refrain, which is 

 indicated by the letter r (not noted during the singing of the first 

 eight phrases and last four) — 



Vrr| r rrri r rf r ^fHrrR^rri r rrrrr| r rrr 



I may have failed to note the light refrain occasionally during 

 the singing of the above; but the record shows the minimum fre- 

 quency with which it was uttered. I have included in liars the 

 four phrases when sung in normal order. In one instance, it will 

 be observed, the E was repeated, but this does not affect the se- 

 quence of harmonies. 



In respect to having a normal order and departing from it freely 

 this song resembles several rhythmical songs of Wood Thrushes 

 I have secured, in which the normality oi a certain order was very . 



