A LABRADOR SPRING 



the bird, suddenly becoming aware of my 

 presence, changed its note to repeated ex- 

 plosions of its harsh je-let, and I was con- 

 vinced of the truth of my observations, and 

 concluded that the je-lt was merely an alarm 

 note and not a song. Unfortunately for this 

 theory, all the birds did not act in the same way, 

 and the same bird varied its course at different 

 times, for even when unaware of my undesir- 

 able presence, and in the absence of any visible 

 annoyance, these flycatchers would sometimes 

 repeat the ]e-l6t in a way that suggested the 

 pouring out of their souls in this soulless dis- 

 harmony a song not inferior to that of the 

 least flycatcher, and that is saying a good deal. 

 The same birds when disturbed would emit 

 at times the double whistle note. I was forced 

 to conclude therefore either that the yellow- 

 bellied flycatcher was developing one of two 

 songs, one to our ears musical, the other the 

 reverse, and, in this community at least, that 

 the particular song had not been determined, 

 or that the bird was developing two songs. 

 Let us hope that the soft and liquid whistle 

 may alone survive, and be further elaborated. 

 I am very sure, if the bird did but know it, his 



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