BIRDS IN AUGUST 



The desire to sing is instinctive, and so, perhaps, are 

 the general features, the outlines of the song ; the 

 rest must depend on the strength of the organs of 

 music possessed by the individual bird, on its ear, 

 on its assiduity. This explains why the song of 

 birds of the same species varies so much among 

 individuals, and why it is choicer and stronger after 

 some weeks or months of practice. I spoke of the 

 case of several thrushes which produced passages 

 extremely like those of nightingales. Dr. Japp, 

 who has written interesting books on wild life, 

 reminds me of a similar experience. He says : 

 "Long ago, in the appendix to 'Hours in my 

 Garden,' I made a good deal of reference to this 

 subject. Mr. Mann Jones, of Northam, Devon, as 

 a naturalist and wakeful sleeper, paid closest atten- 

 tion to this matter. He had followed the thrush's 

 song from the first crude efforts to perfect bars, and 

 was assured that the perfection was got through 

 practice, believing that the thrushes do exactly as 

 some of the American turdidae do go into retired 

 corners to practise these bars they have fallen in love 

 with." The idea of a bird listening intently to other 

 singers and deliberately practising is on first thought 

 rather hard to entertain, but I believe it is thus, 

 largely, that the perfect song is made. The robin's 

 song raises another question why do some birds, 

 such as robin, starling, and thrush, give so much 

 time and energy to music in autumn and winter ? 

 The usual interpretation of bird-song is that it is 

 impelled by gallantry and courtship. But birds that 



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