A Study of a Lincoln's Sparrow m 



2. Trills similar to those just described but connected by un- 

 broken series of short, soft, liquid notes, among which the tsiip call 

 common to both the Junco and Lincoln's Sparrow were frequently 

 interpolated, the whole forming a protracted and very musical medley 

 almost exactly like that given by the Junco in ea-rly spring. This 

 song should perhaps be regarded as a mere variation of No. i, but 

 as the bird never changed from one to the other I have kept them 

 apart. 



3. A rapid warble, at times flowing smoothly and evenly and ex- 

 ceedingly like the song of the Purple Finch, at others brighter and 

 more glancing, the notes rolling over one another, as it were, and sug- 

 gesting those of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet ; again with a rich throaty 

 quality and in form, as well as tone closely like the song of the 

 House Wren ; still again guttural and somewhat broken or stuttering, 

 like that of the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Although the first and 

 last of these songs were very unlike, I have put them all under one 

 head, because the bird often used them all during a single singing 

 period and frequently changed from one to another by insensible 

 gradations. 



4. Song in slow, measured bars separated by brief intervals, 

 the cadences alternately swelling and dying softly, some of the 

 notes trilled or shaken, the whole resembling in general form as 

 well as in manner of delivery the songs of Bachman's Finch and 

 the Hermit Thrush, and possessing not a little of the same spiritual 

 quality. 



Some of these songs were fixed and uniform at all times ; others 

 varied within the limits I have just indicated ; all resembled and 

 two or three exactly reproduced the songs of other species of birds. 

 Indeed, not one can safely be regarded as original either in form 

 or tone. Those classified under different numbers were never inter- 

 changed save after protracted periods of silence, the particular theme 

 selected on each occasion being repeated with little or no variation 

 until the bird ceased singing, while it was sometimes made to serve 

 for a whole forenoon. I can think of no other bird which sings in 

 this way, borrowing his songs from half a dozen other species, 

 never intermingling them nor combining them with notes of his 

 own, but selecting one for one hour or occasion, another for 

 another. 



With such a repertoire, even though it be borrowed or stolen, 

 Lincoln's Sparrow might easily rank as the first among North 

 American singing birds were it not that his voice has so little power 

 that its remarkable beauty and flexibility cannot be appreciated 

 unless one is very near the singer. It is quite possible, too, that 



