128 E VOL UTION OF BIRD-SONG 



one on the like occasion ; and it is a call-note 

 used by the adults to express greater emotion than 

 the ordinary call-note of diditit. This is proved by 

 the readiness with which a flock obeys this cry in 

 preference to the other, which is, however, generally 

 sufficient as a call. I have proved even my own 

 imitations of it (in a strange place) to be more 

 attractive than the other cry, though this is uttered 

 by a flock ; but the experiment was conducted in 

 winter, when the birds were much pressed for food. 

 The lesser redpoll repeats the cry, yell, almost 

 exactly like the greenfinch, and its young also utter 

 it in the same manner as those of that species. 

 The young of the brown linnet vociferate this 

 cry when they are flying in flocks with their parents 

 about July ; and the young redpoll employs it, 

 like the young greenfinch, when being fed off 

 the nest The same note is heard in the songs 

 of the brown linnet, siskin, and goldfinch. By the 

 house-sparrow it is employed in attempts at song ; 

 also as an alarm, and in the latter capacity with 

 various degrees of vehemence ; but in this species 

 it resembles tell or chell, rather than yell, and is 

 sometimes rapidly repeated. 



The nestling young of the house-sparrow, brown 

 linnet, and greenfinch have similar cries, quite 



