HOW TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH BIRDS 541 



servations. Put down date and location, the sort of 

 woods, brush, or field, in which the bird was seen; 

 whether the land was swampy, hilly, or dry pasture, 

 etc., and then get the song if you can. I have tried 

 all sorts of experiments in recording bird song, and the 

 most practical way for me is to use a series of dashes 

 like these - , for long and short notes, 



or dots for quick trills or chatterings. With this method 

 it is possible to get the number of words, syllables, or 

 exclamations in each bird song. I spent three after- 

 noons recording the brown thrasher's song given on 

 page 527, and comparing the results until I secured his 

 average or normal song, and this is the way the notes 

 appeared: 



Quick ! Quick ! Quick ! 



Look-a-here, Look-a-here ! 



Three, Three. 



Yel-low link, yel-low-link. 



Pret-ty bird, pret-ty bird. 



Wheat oh, wheat oh. 

 Twert, twert. 

 Tw-r-r-r, Tu-r-r-r. 

 Wee-ah-wee-ah ! 



Of course, the brown thrasher does not speak Eng- 

 lish, but one must fit words to the sounds the bird makes, 

 and fit the words which come nearest to the bird notes. 



The scarlet tanager near my home every summer is 

 singing all during the hot days, as if he enjoyed warm 

 weather, but his song must refer to his little greenish- 

 colored wife, or maybe the publishers, for it certainly 

 does not refer to the author when it says. " Oh gee! 

 too rich, too rich, too rich for me ! " 



A very pert oriole at my farm boastingly announces 



