136 WOOD NOTES WILD. 



GENESIS OF BIRD SONG. Contin. 



1889, pp. 91-102. I never see a brown thrush flashing his brilliant song 

 from the highest spray of a tree without letting a thought go back over 

 the way he has come to us, and I always feel that to protect and defend 

 the song-bird is one of man's clearest duties." Thompson, M. : Sylvan 

 Secrets, p. 97. 



" The growth of Melody has been clear and natural enough. Nature 

 itself laid the foundation when Sound first broke out in its thousand 

 shades and colorings, from the grateful hum of bees to the terrific roar 

 of monster ocean. It is this world of sound Nature's great diapason 

 which we draw upon when molding into shape the nursery lullaby, or the 

 operatic scena which commands the admiration of patrician and plebeian 

 alike. To sound monophonic tones is possible to both man and beast, 

 and the first cravings of primitive man were towards an imitation of the 

 sounds of life around him. In this way the Kamtschatkales have this 

 succession of tones : 



not from any musical system, but by imitating the cry of the wild duck. 

 The notes constitute the open or arpeggio form of our chords f , f . The 

 meanings of man and beast doubtless led to the first funeral chants, 

 such as the Egyptian Maneros, called by the Greeks Linos (Ah/os), and 

 reputed the oldest music in the world." Crowest, P. J. : Musical Ground- 

 work, pp. 88-89. 



SINGING AND DANCING. 



And if man has profited by the example of the birds in 

 the art of song, how about the sister art of dancing ? 



" The white-banded mocking-bird of southern South America perhaps 

 the finest feathered melodist in the world is one of those species that 

 accompany music with appropriate motions. And just as its song is, so 

 to speak, inspired and an improvisation unlike any song the bird has ever 

 uttered, so its motions all have the same character of spontaneity, and 

 follow no order, and yet have a grace and passion and a perfect harmony 

 with the music unparalleled among birds possessing a similar habit. 

 While singing he passes from bush to bush, sometimes delaying a few 

 moments on and at others just touching the summits, and at times sinking 



