FAMILY FringllUdas. 



Oh ! Loldfthdn the hawthorn blossom fairer, 



The similarity of this air to that which the White-throat 

 sings is at once apparent. Another song with the inter- 

 val of a fourth, which a bird gave me in the White 

 Mountains, is strongly reminiscent of the Di Provenza 

 from Verdi's Traviata ; this is what the bird sang: 



C?he bird sings three octaves highpr,en&rtg on h,ghestC) 



and these are the first bars of the simple but beautiful 

 melody from the opera: 



Certainly the resemblance between the two songs is 

 striking. Occasionally White-throat attempts a high 

 pitch which he is unable to sustain, and then we hear 

 him drop down the scale by easy steps like a musical 

 sigh, thus: 



Thrf times 



dh 



Wl day long whittlin whittlin' whittlin'. 



The tones of voice here express as much discouragement 

 as the words which accompany them imply. There is a 

 sort of " Heigh ho, fiddle-de-dee V character to the music 

 which makes one think the little bird looks upon life and 

 its cares as a tough problem ! That is not unlike the pessi- 

 mistic sentiments expressed by Carmen when she ap- 

 pears in the first act of the Opera and sings that love is a 

 wilful wild bird with whom it is dangerous to have any 

 08 



