APPENDIX. 151 



WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Contin. 



" I suspect this interesting bird is an accomplished ventriloquist. On 

 one occasion I listened for some time to what seemed to be two birds, in 

 different directions and not far off, but hidden from view. The C note 

 was omitted. One would sing two notes in G, which would be followed 

 in perfect time by two in E by the other bird. I was strongly impressed 

 at the time with the idea that there was only one singer present, and that 

 the song, sweet and beautiful, was a skilful display of ventriloquism." l 

 Leach, M. L. : Song of the White-throated Sparrow. (Swiss Cross, vol. iii., May, 

 1888, pp. 145-146.) 



Dr. Leach's notation is very similar to that of the white- 

 throat's song as heard in the provinces of New Brunswick 

 and Nova Scotia, "as clear and accurate a melody as 

 can be given forth by any human songster " : 



Common form. 



f== f i 



tf 



A second form. 



A rarer form. 



E E E E E ' E = 



If we rule out the testimony of Juliet about the lark, 

 this writer has the honor of being perhaps the second to 



1 " I first heard it [the ventriloquist dove ( Geopelia tranquilla, Gould) ] 

 on the marshes of the Macquarie, but could not see it. The fact is that it 

 has the power of throwing its voice to a distance, and I mistook it for 

 some time for the note of a large bird on the plains, and sent a man more 

 than once to shoot it, without success." Sturt, Capt. C.: Narr. of an 

 Exped. into Central Australia (Lond., 1849), vol. ii. app. p. 45. See 

 Miiller, Karl: Ein Lieblingsvogel des Volkes. (Gartenlaube, 1876, 

 p. 300.) 



For ventriloquism explained by rapid changes of position, see Jefferies, 

 R. : Wild life in a Southern County (Boston, 1889), pp. 195, 196. 



