OVEN-BIRD 199 



in a plantation can always be known from the noisy 

 turmoil among the Oven-birds* At frequent intervals 

 during the day the male and female meet and express 

 their joy in clear, resonant notes sung in concert a 

 habit common to a very large number of Dendroco- 

 laptine birds, including, I think, all those species 

 which pair for life* In a majority of species this 

 vocal performance merely consists of a succession 

 of confused notes or cries, uttered with great spirit 

 and emphasis ; in the Oven-bird it has developed 

 into a kind of harmonious singing* Thus, the first 

 bird, on the appearance of its mate flying to the place 

 of meeting, emits loud, measured notes, sometimes 

 a continuous trilling note with a somewhat hollow, 

 metallic sound ; but immediately on the other bird 

 joining, this introductory passage is changed to rapid 

 triplets, strongly accented on the first and last notes, 

 while the second bird utters a series of loud measured 

 notes perfectly according with the triplets of the 

 first* While thus singing they stand facing each 

 other, their necks outstretched, wings hanging, and 

 tails spread, the first bird trembling with its rapid 

 utterances, the second beating on the branch with 

 its wings* The finale consists of three or four notes 

 uttered by the second bird alone, and becoming 

 successively louder and more piercing until the end. 

 There is an infinite variety in the tone in which dif- 

 ferent couples sing, also in the order in which the 

 different notes are uttered, and even the same couple 

 do not repeat their duet in precisely the same way ; 

 but it is always a rhythmical and, to some extent, 



