APPENDIX. 123 



NEWNESS OF THE FIELD. Contin. 



first steps in the philosophical study of the structure of 

 music could entertain the idea that the sounds naturally 

 emitted by birds . . . were entitled to be called either 

 music or melody." So writes Wm. Pole in " Nature " for 

 August 11, 1887. While it is the intent of the editor 

 to collate simply, not to criticise, he is moved to inquire 

 if the notations grouped below, besides showing the ex- 

 tension of the field as surveyed in England in the last 

 quarter of the 17th century and as practically left one 

 hundred years later, do not constitute a sufficient answer 

 to the author of "A Year with the Birds," M. H. R, to 

 the writer on " Sportsman's Music," to the author of 

 " Music and Morals," and to the distinguished contributor 

 to "Nature" for August 11, 1887. The writer last men- 

 tioned says : 



"We arrive, therefore, at the conclusion that the essential 

 feature of music, its minimum component, must be a combina- 

 tion of sounds of different pitches, these pitches being moreover 

 strictly fixed and defined, and their relations to each other cor- 

 responding to certain series agreed on and adopted as standard 

 musical scales. Such combination will of itself constitute music ; 

 we may add all sorts of other features, but without the above 

 essential foundation we cannot have music, in an artistic point 

 of view." 



What " component " of the " essential foundation " is 

 lacking in this group of melodies? 



CHICKADEES, singing responses. 



f r jr r if r r .fr r^ 



