WHIP-WOR-VVILL. 



fix and he breaks in on both the others with an emphatic 

 and vociferous insistence on the original key, F, but even 

 he must impress his own personality on the song, so he 

 proceeds in F minor I 



Tfe /7/tafr ^ a 



octave higher th<3n the records. 



It thus happens that we have been listening to half a 

 dozen Whip-poor-wills, whose songs progressively range 

 through the keys, F, D flat, G, E flat, A flat, and F 

 minor ! * I confess that I have picked out from my col- 

 lection of Whip-poor-will annotations these six songs in 

 correlated keys for the purpose of showing the generally 

 harmonious relationship of bird music. It would indeed 

 be a rare occasion if the six occurred in the regular suc- 

 cession given above, but there is every chance in the 

 world that we will hear something very similar to this 

 the next time we listen to a number of Whip-poor-wills 

 singing together. That depends upon our "ear for 

 music." This bird is Nature's virtuoso in the perform- 

 ance of the Nocturne, and it requires but little study to 

 discover the fact that few if any of the renderings are 

 exactly similar. An attentive ear at close range will 

 detect a sound like cuh coming from the bird's throat 

 between each of the whip-poor-wills, but one must be 

 very near to catch it. Evidently it is caused by sucking 

 in the breath and shutting and opening the bill prepara- 

 tory to the next whistles. One will also notice a 

 very perceptible quaver on the sy liable poor,\ so I have 

 properly indicated that by a grace note in the last song. 



*This is no ordinary progression ; the six songs played on the 

 piano in the order given above show at' once a harmonious 

 relationship. 



t Mr. Cheney's division of this syllable into two equal parts (two 

 Sixteenth notes) does not seera to me correct, even though he 



29 



