OTES 



THE MEANING OF BIRDS' SONGS. 



In the September number of British Birds (p. 121) Mr. 

 Kirkman disagrees with Dr. Lowe's explanation of bird-song. 

 We have always been told that all songs of birds are simply 

 the expression of sexual emotion. This is the explanation 

 usually accepted. While not holding this opinion myself I 

 cannot for a moment accept Mr. Kirkman's alternative that 

 the bird " sings to please himself." So far as I have ever 

 observed the bird has had no alternative. I have been 

 studying the subject for some years, and am strongly of 

 opinion that song is always the ebullition of superfluous energy, 

 and has no direct connection with sexual matters. 



The case of the House-Sparrow may be taken as an example. 

 [For some reason this species Avas not mentioned either by 

 the Messrs. Alexander in their paper on "Song-Periods" in 

 British Birds (Vol. I., pp. 367-372), nor by Mr. Gyngell in 

 his contribution on the same subject to the Naturalist (1908, 

 p. 181).] The bird sings all through the year with the exception 

 of the period of rearing the young ; the season of moult ; 

 certain damp, dark, or foggy days in winter ; and when a 

 heavy fall of snow makes the task of securing food so arduous 

 that there is no energy left for song. Indeed, in all birds, the 

 song-period is coincident with a time of plenty. In November, 

 when the Sparrow is in full song, the males are certainly 

 incapable of any sexual feelings if the physiology of the bird 

 is to be any index. As everyone who has dissected a Sparrow 

 will remember, the essential organs in spring are probably 

 not less than fifty times bigger than they are in a bird 

 examined in mid-winter. 



The best way to make a bird sing is to adopt the methods 

 that are used by bird-fanciers all over the world. Feed it 

 well, keep it in good health, and close all outlets for its 

 energy except the one of song. Even yet, birds are subjected 

 to the atrocious process of blinding, for it is known that they 

 sing the better for it. The darkening of the cage has the same 

 effect. In either case it depends on the stopping of one or 

 more outlets for the carefully stored energy of the bird. 

 Female birds, when deprived by age or other causes of the 

 opportunity of expending their superfluous vitality in egg- 

 production, are said to sing well. 



