THE ZOOLOGIST 



FOR 1862. 



-/!'• 



TJie Song of Birds. By Colonel H. W. Newman. 



This subject is treated of in Dr. Bechstein's work on cage birds, 

 and I wish to mention to the ornithological readers of the ' Zoologist ' 

 a few observations made during my experience. 



Mr. Broderip is of opinion that love and rivalry are the main causes 

 of their song, but in reply to this our beautiful songster the thrush 

 sings a few days in October, and, in mild weather, often in the third 

 week of November, and frequently most of December ; but in these 

 months the thrush is perched a great deal higher from the ground, and 

 consequently not so well heard as in the breeding season in the spring, 

 when he is nearer his nest. I have never heard the wild thrush sing in 

 September, but in late summers frequently a week in the first part of 

 August: in 1859 the summer was so early and hot that the thrushes 

 near me ceased singing on the 24th of July, a week eaiher than usual. 



Dr. Bechstein is of opinion that there are two species of the night- 

 ingale, one which sings by day and another which sings by night. I 

 do not fall into this theory in England, as I have noticed that where 

 one or two pairs of these birds have frequented a particular copse, hill 

 or hedgerow, I have always found them both by day and night 

 close to the very spot at both periods. These birds are very constant 

 to their locality, and Dr. Bechstein may have mistaken this by the 

 difference of their song, as they never sing nearly so loud by day as at 

 their usual time near midnight. I never heard a nightingale sing by 

 day in its full splendoi* of song : when singing he is perched generally 

 within twenty feet from the ground. 



Mr. Macgillivray gives a most interesting account of the formation 

 of throats of singing birds. 



The Hon. Mr. Daines Barrington gives a scale of the comparative 

 merits of singing birds, but not in my ear a just one, as he places the 

 VOL. XX. B 



