6o BiCKNELL 071 the Sittging of Birds. [January 



A STUDY OF THE SINGING OF OUR BIRDS. 

 by eugene p. bicknell. 



Introduction.* 



The subject of the singing of our birds seems never to have 

 been pursued as a distinct branch of ornithological study. Even 

 in our most complete bird-biographies song is rarely introduced 

 except descriptively or in poetical allusion. But the voices of 

 birds, apart from their intrinsic interest and their associations, are 

 closely related to the times and seasons of the birds themselves 

 and to other phenomena of their lives. And yet, judging from our 

 present ornithological litei"ature, this seems to have been wholly 

 overlooked. We have, indeed, scattered records of individual 

 variation in the songs of birds and of variation in the 

 notes of a few species at different seasons and in different 

 regions, and some well-known examples illustrative of the 

 latter fact, but we have little else. In view of these facts the 

 present paper appears. But while the writer would have it 

 understood that the subject is here considered solely from a local 

 standpoint, t he fully feels that even within these limitations the 

 sum of recorded observations at command is an insufficient basis 

 for an intelligent treatment of many points. The presentation, 

 therefore, of suggestions which the future may develop, while 

 adding something to our present knowledge, is all that can at 

 present be attempted. Let us remember that speculation and 

 theory are not always mischievous or futile. At the threshold of 

 an unstudied subject they have often the effect of stimulating in- 

 vestigation and giving direction to research. No apology is 

 needed for certain somewhat speculative portions of the present 

 paper if any such result is accomplished. 



One entering upon the study of the singing of birds must 

 soon recognize as an obvious fact that many birds have two dis- 



* Read before the Linnasan Society of New York, February 24, 1883. Published by 

 permission of the Council. 



t The observations on which the present contribution is based were conducted in the 

 vicinity of Riverdale on the Hudson, New York City, to which locality all remarks 

 except under contrary statement apply. 



