18S4. 1 BiCKNin.r, o)i thr Sinking of Ii/r(/s. 12*1 



well begun ; and when this has been retarded b)' untoward weather, 

 and finally starts with full volume, then the ad\anee guard are 

 usually song-bearers. My records show a range of over three 

 weeks in the time of the beginning of song in diflbrent years, 

 from February 37 to March 21. Both of these dates are, however, 

 exceptional, and rejDresent the extremes of an early and late season. 

 Usually singing begins during the second week of March. 



The Robin continues well in song up to tlie middle of Jid}', 

 after which there is usually a perceptible decrease in the number 

 of singing birds, and the time of singing becomes more restricted 

 to the marginal hours of the day. My notes of the singing of 

 the Robin in August, though usually extending through the 

 month, I'arel}' form more than a disconnected record. The incli- 

 nation towards song is no^Y declining, and it depends, during 

 the first part of the month largely, and during the latter 

 part entirely upon favorable conditions, whether there be any 

 song at all. Thus in a season of drought occasional brief songs 

 in the earl}- hours on favorable days, with intervals of silence, 

 may fill out the record of the month, whereas a reasonably con- 

 secutive record will result from a cool and wet season. 



September is eminently their month of silence. Their pri- 

 mary song-period may extend feebly beyond the end of August, 

 and rarely an imperfect song may be heard in the following 

 month, but until its latter days silence, excepting the ordinary 

 call notes, is the general rule. 



The, secondary song-period is introduced with much regularit}- 

 in different years in the last days of September. From 1S7S-81, 

 ni}' record runs : vSeptember 37, 36, 38, 35. But vmfavorable 

 weather may postpone the beginning of the second song-period 

 imtil October. The first songs are usually subdued and broken, 

 but soon acquire the normal cliaracter, and sometimes continue 

 with little interruption through the month of October ; but again 

 there may be an almost complete intermission between the first or 

 second and final week of the month. Sometimes when this is 

 the case, multitudes of the biixls arrive from the north about the 

 third quarter of the month, bringing song with them, and in the 

 last week, if the weather be damp and cloudv. numbers may he 

 heard singing with almost the freshness and vigor which charac- 

 terises their song in April. 



When the vast numbers of Robins which pass southward at 

 this season ha-\'e departed, the species rapidlv becomes uncom- 



