INDIGO-BIRD. 



CYANOSPIZA CYANEA. 



I HAD very little acquaintance with this bird, and 

 knew nothing of his singing, till I sought him for 

 study in a sunny nook near the entrance of the beautiful 

 cemetery at Lynn. There a pair spent the season, giving 

 me frequent opportunities to listen to the singer. His 

 song was brief, plain, and without variation, and I sup- 

 posed it to be the family song; but to my surprise, 

 though I have heard indigo-birds sing many times since, 

 not one of them sang that first song, the only one I 

 have been able to copy. 

 The exact tones were, 



Sva. 



At first the tonic was not quite distinct, but after sev- 

 eral performances, I caught this : 



The conclusion then was that the key was F. In the 

 repetitions the last two tones were added about one time 

 in six, just often enough to keep in mind the true 



