FAMILY FrlngillldK. 



on the rugged ground of the Middlesex Fells, near Bos- 

 ton, and anyone with a knowledge of music would un- 

 questionably pronounce the song of this species one of 

 the best melodic demonstrations of a combined acceler- 

 ando and crescendo which an exacting ear could de- 

 mand. Minot seems to have held a good opinion of the 

 song, for he says it opens with "a few exquisitely modu- 

 lated whistles, each higher and a little louder than the 

 preceding, and closes with a sweet trill. But a musi- 

 cian's opinion is nearer to the truth, and we cannot im- 

 prove on the following one by Mr. Cheney, who \vrit-s, 

 " Scarcely anything in rhythmics and dynamics is UK. re 

 difficult than to give a perfect accelerando and crescendo : 

 and the use of the chromatic scale by which the Field 

 Sparrow rises in his lyric flight involves the very pith 

 of melodic ability. This little musician has explored the 

 whole realm of sound, and condensed its beauties in per- 

 fection into one short song." Minot's description of the 

 music (as has already been pointed out by Mr. Cheney) 

 is not quite correct; there are no modulations of the 

 opening " whistles," they are all on the same pitch ; and 

 only the middle tones rise or fall, as the case may be, 

 progressing to a final so-called trill, thus : 



Accelerando et crescendo. 



Jfel- /-/-/-/- ly-ly-ly-ly-ly Ely 'y-y-y-y-y-y-y- 



In this very common song, which is confined to the nar- 

 row compass of a minor third, the tones ascend, and are 

 an amusing elaboration of the three opening notes of 

 the old melody Nellie Ply ! In another song almost as 

 familiar the little singer reverses the order and descends 

 the scale : 



Accelerando ft crescendd. 



104 



