44 WHIMSICAL WHITE-THROATS 



Why did he not sing in a white-throat voice, 

 and the proper white - throat song ? Why 

 should he so far depart from the ways of his 

 kindred as to shout from the top of the tall- 

 est tree in that bold way, and what object 

 could he have in setting the whole tribe fran- 

 tic ? Had he secured a white-throat mate 

 with that intolerable voice, and had he a 

 family coming up to imitate his unnatural 

 performance? Or was he a disappointed 

 bachelor, aiming to stir up his domestic breth- 

 ren? 



All these questions pressed to our lips, but 

 there was no reply ; and as long as we stayed 

 he continued to render his triplets, sometimes 

 prefacing them with the two or three long 

 notes that belong to them, but all on the 

 same key, utterly unlike his fellows, and 

 loud enough to be heard a mile away. 



The solo of the white-throated sparrow 

 differs from nearly all other bird-songs that 

 I know, being a clear, distinct whistle that 

 may easily be reduced to our musical scale, 

 and perfectly imitated by the human voice ; 

 in this latter quality it is almost unique. The 

 notes are very few, usually two, never, I 



