STUDY OF BIRD LIFE 23 



of singing. No doubt environment plays an important part in 

 the acquisition of new notes in any species, but the degree of assi- 

 milation is most dependent on native faculty. In the Catbird 

 this faculty seems more evident than in any other of our northern 

 birds. So accomplished is this species that it can imitate the full 

 song of other species. I remember on one accasion of hearing a 

 Catbird, in full view, singing like a Robin. 



Those who spend much time in the country or other places 

 where birds are abundant must have been struck by the frequent 

 occurence of the same note in many species. Often, too, a single 

 sweet note will be repeated over and over again, a fact that reiterates 

 the truth that repetition is an element of adequate appreciation 

 in other than human expression. Sometimes this repetition of one 

 note reveals more clearly the sweetness of a bird's notes than 

 does its full song. I recall as an example of this the Orchard 

 ( )riole. 



In some species the notes are very limited in range, but some 

 variety is obtained by a skilful management of the voice. Should 

 the elementary sound be sweet, the bird may succeed in giving it a 

 number of pleasing turns; or the quality of the notes may be so 

 agreeable that the observer will listen eagerly to the oft-repeated, 

 sweet strain. Perhaps no common species is so conspicuous for 

 this habit as the Field Sparrow. Now and again I have heard one 

 whose powers of song, within the limits described above, were 

 remarkably fine. 



Our birds may be divided into two general classes — musical 

 and non-musical. Why are all of them not musical? Well, one may 

 as well ask, why are not all birds non-musical? Some have received 

 the gift of song as an endowment, while others have not received 

 this gift. But even those that are not called song birds may have 

 notes that are more or less pleasing. Of course this quality would 

 suffer by comparison with those species whose songs are clearlv 

 sweet; but when a bird's notes are judged on their own merits, 

 after frequent and long acquaintance, we will certainlv admit 

 that somehow w r e like them. 



There is always in the observer of bird life a subjective feeling 

 that will materially affect his appreciation of the songs of birds. 

 A species that is heard very frequently, like the song sparrow, 

 will — from this very frequency, and not for any intrinsic quality 

 of the song — be regarded with unwonted affection. 



