DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 27 



have never observed any such adaptation of Robin music, — but 

 that each individual Robin has his own particular phrases, by 

 which he may be distinguished from all other Robins by the 

 close observer. Records 4, 5, and 6 show some different Robin 

 phrases I have secured. The phrases given in Record 4 were 

 followed by two or three other phrases, some moving upward 

 instead of downward ; the little run from c to e in Record 5 was 

 very clean cut ; while the song, reproduced in Record 6, was 

 beautifully clear. 



Most Robin songs have little melodious coherency, but I have 

 noted a number of exceptions to this rule. I once heard three 

 related phrases (Rec. 7) sung by a Robin, usually though not 

 invariabl}'-, in the order here given. It will be observed that 

 the three taken together form one melodious whole. Another 

 Robin sang a six-phrase song, as indicated in Record 8. The 

 bird sometimes varied this song slightly and sang also a num- 

 ber of other combinations. I would direct especial attention 

 to the fact that the first three of these phrases were in dominant 

 harmony while the last three were in tonic harmony, which 

 makes the whole song very well balanced. Other examples of 

 more or less melodious combinations of phrases, heard at vari- 

 ous places, both north and south, might be given did space 

 permit. 



Sometimes a Robin will depart from convention and utter a 

 song that is very unlike the normal Robin song in style. 

 Thus, a few years ago a Robin was wont to greet me as I re- 

 turned to my home of a summer afternoon with the continuous 

 melody shown in Record 9. And one April day I heard a 

 Robin in the grounds of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture singing a sub voce song (Rec. 10) that was also decidedly 

 aberrant. 



A notable difference is observable in the quality of voice and 

 style of different Robins. One, as though greatly pressed by 

 the stress and strenuousness of this life, will utter a high-pitched 

 hurried, eager song, that communicates a spirit of unrest 

 to the listener and creates a hope that the feverish singer may be 

 moved to take up his summer's abode at some far-distant point. 

 Another, disposed apparently to take life more easily, will sing 



