WOOD NOTES WILD. 43 



each piping away in a key of his own. Heedless of 

 pitch, striking in just as it happens, this independent 

 little songster sometimes finds himself at the top of his 

 voice and at a height of sound rarely reached by any 

 other bird. The whistling quality of the white-throat's 

 voice and his deliberate method make his song very dis- 

 tinct and distinctive. The responsive singing of several 

 performers in the still woods (and out of them some- 

 times), continually introducing new keys, affords a 

 unique entertainment. 



The form of the song already given is undoubtedly 

 the true one, but I once heard the following variation : 



Sva. 



When the season is well advanced, the singers, seem- 

 ingly grown weary of their song, begin to shorten it. 

 At first they omit the last triplets ; further on they 

 drop the second group, then the first group, then the 

 third long note, till finally only the first two long notes 

 remain. There is a touch of the comic in this farewell 

 performance, as though the singer said, " There, you know 

 the rest." 



