Individual Variety of Bird Songs 



BY HENRY OLDYS 



Volume XVII of Cassinia (1913) contains a record of pains- 

 taking observations made by the editor, Robert Thomas Moore, 

 of what the author denominates the ' call-song ' of the Oven-bird . 

 Mr. Moore settles authoritatively and finally the disputed ques- 

 tion of whether or not John Burroughs' ' teacher ' characteriza- 

 tion of the Oven-bird's song is correct. By a series of notations 

 that have every evidence of accuracy he demonstrates that Mr. 

 Burroughs' characterization is correct as far as it goes, but that 

 it represents only one of many forms taken by the bird's song. 

 I was much pleased to see this article, which is amply supported 

 in its conclusion by similar material in my own possession. If 

 necessary I could greatly increase the variety shown, and thus 

 give added emphasis to this demonstration of the Oven-birds' 

 versatility as a songster. It is not my purpose to do so at this 

 time, though I cannot refrain from publishing one unusually 

 aberrant song I secured from an Oven-bird in the grounds of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture at Washington 

 some years ago (Plate IV, Bee. I). This song was delivered in 

 the style of a Carolina Wren and with the timbre (quality) of a 

 Maryland Yellow-throat. I should never have attributed it to an 

 Oven-bird, had I not seen the singer, which, fortunately, was 

 perched on a low tree and afforded me two or three minutes of 

 close and perfectly satisfactory inspection. 



Let me advert also to one point concerning the "teacher" 

 song which seems to have escaped attention, viz : that it is a 

 northern song. I have heard it many times, but never south of 

 Vermont. Mr. Moore's records were obtained, he informs us, 

 in New Jersey and Maine, and I will venture to suggest that if 

 he will examine them, he will find that all those in which the 

 first note of each couplet was accented were secured in Maine. 



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