Bird-Songs Interpreted 



The whip and will are the two accented 

 notes of the song, and after each of them 

 the bird seems audibly to catch its breath 

 in a quick, aspirant ah. The effect, to one 

 who has never heard it before, is very pe 

 culiar and interesting. 



The white-throated sparrow gets its com 

 mon name (Peabody bird) from its plain 

 reiteration of the syllables pea-bod-y. There 

 are also two slight, initial syllables in the 

 strain, which one writer on birds likens to 

 ee-ee, giving in all five syllables to the song 

 or phrase. The beginner will have little 

 trouble in naming this sparrow from its 

 note. 



The first note of the bluebird's song cor 

 responds with the first syllable of its name, 

 a clear, smooth, open whistle, like b-lo-o-o. 

 Then there are two shorter syllables, like 

 al-ly. The song is of singularly sweet qual 

 ity, but meager. Indeed, many of the birds 

 which are- accounted our favorite songsters 

 have really very slight songs. It is the qual 

 ity rather than the quantity of their vocal 

 performance that gives them pre-eminence. 



Different ears often hear differently, and 

 I would advise every beginner in bird-study 



83 



