77 



with the old birds, were at times in the same tree. The female 

 was quite busy going and coming with food for the young, while 

 the male continued for a long time singing his incomparably 

 sweet songs, stopping only occasionally to caress one of the lit- 

 tle birds as he passed from one to the other. It was a question 

 whether this extra music was indulged in for the especial pleasure 

 of his little family, or whether it was the every-day song of this 

 particular finch. 



In describing the birds of the Catskills, Eugene Bicknell says 

 of the purple finches: "They appeared to be in full voice, but 

 their songs were so different from that of the same species near 

 New York City that I doubted their identity, till a specimen was 

 secured. Not only the notes, but the manner of delivering them 

 was entirely strange. In the lower Hudson Valley the song of 

 this finch is rich and voluble, with the notes of definite charac- 

 ter and number. In the Catskills all the notes were weak and 

 inexpressive, and the song brief and of uncertain character." 



The songs of some bobolinks are remarkable performances, 

 both in tone and execution. The music of others is like that 

 from instruments cracked and out of tune. Wilson Flaggsays: 

 " The songs of the song sparrow [Melospiza melodia), in the wilds 

 of Northern New England, are more plaintive and sylvan, though 

 not so loud and theme-like, as in thickly settled localities." 



The power of imitation is possessed by a much larger number 

 of birds than that of ventriloquism. Some individuals will 

 master the entire song of another species. Bobolinks, when 

 caged, have been known to appropriate the song of canaries and 

 sing them for months, in preference to their own. Other birds 

 will only acquire certain notes or bars, which they sometimes 

 incorporate in their own songs, thus making quaint and curious 

 medleys of doubtful quality. Canaries long living in company 

 where they continually hear one another's notes will finally sing 

 very nearly alike, though at first the general characteristics of 

 their songs may have been quite different. 



The mocking-birds excepted, perhaps the song sparrow {Me- 

 lospiza melodia), oftener than others, mix with their strains notes 



