22 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



note lost its characteristic sledge-stroke, so that both notes were 

 struck with equal languor and the rate of speed became very- 

 slow. Shortly after this the song went to pieces on single coup- 

 lets and ceased for an hour. At 1:30 p. m. it was resumed in 

 the form of a typical song, while the rate of speed and accent 



1 N ^^"^ 



±. 



t: 



^ 



T. 



=5: 



et,Tca*V er.Tta.cV«- tvfTtatV*- e-TfTeotV- iet'.Tca.tV**- 



were restored. In this rendering the unaccented note came 

 first: "er-Teach, er-T6ach, etc." But at 2 p. m. this eccentric 

 individual reversed the accent, and sang Mr. Borroughs' song, 

 although he elided the unaccented note from the first two coup- 



JUJbO 



a.ava. 



10. 



PP 



c.Yes 



jfiL 



leacU i 



^^ M* 





lea-tlrv' laaLcUev. \e.a.c.he.x, eXt . 



lets. But this was not all! A half -hour later the accented 

 note was placed lower than the unaccented and the song dropped 

 in pitch. This Oven-bird was a versatile individual, far beyond 



M.0 ^^ X6va. 



j— ^ J_g_J_IJ 



n. 



lea.cUl Te-aX"! l€.a.t\iev,TeaLxWv, etc.; 



the ordinary, no doubt, and yet every Oven-bird, to which I have 

 devoted an hour's patience, has exhibited the same tendency 

 towards variation. 



In this description I have alluded to a "change of accent," 

 which brings up the problem of the call-song. Every one is 

 acquainted with Mr. Borroughs' syllabic rendering, the best of its 

 kind, "Teacher, teacher, teacher, TEACHER, TEACHER," 

 which provoked the popular question : ' ' Does the first or sec- 

 ond syllable receive the accent?" To begin with, this does not 

 state the problem correctly. It is bad enough to force an un- 

 musical word down a bird's throat, but it is the last straw of 



