42 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 94 



another Thrasher singing farther away. On May 9, while taking 

 a bird walk, a Song Sparrow was seen sitting on the top of a 

 fence post about ten yards away. I imitated its song, and it im- 

 mediately answered. I again imitated, and it again answered, 

 but this time very softly, hardly half as loud as the first time. 

 After that it would not answer any more of my calls. 



About half an hour later, on the same day, while going through 

 a thicket of hazel brush, briars and vines, a bird was heard sing- 

 ing so softly that it was some time before I could locate the ex- 

 act place where the song came from. After listening a short time 

 I recognized the song to be that of a Catbird, but to make sure 

 of the identity of the singer, it was driven from its hiding place. 

 A few minutes later this same Catbird again disappeared in the 

 brush, and again sang its beautiful whisper song. Another Cat- 

 bird was seen near by, which probably was the singer's mate. On 

 September 22 a Robin was heard scolding at short intervals in 

 the front yard. At the same time I also heard, what I thought 

 was a small bird singing very softly. After trying for some 

 time to see the supposed small bird, I became aware that it was 

 the Robin singing a whisper song and scolding alternately. The 

 Robin's repertoire was the same as sung during the spring and 

 summer months, but the singing was so faint that it was scarcely 

 audible at a distance of ten yards. The scolding notes were given 

 as loud as usual. Another Robin was heard singing in the same 

 manner on September 29. 



Every year a pair of Catbirds breed in our house-yard and gar- 

 den, and one of them was heard singing the whisper song in the 

 elderberry patch near the house on September 25 and 30. 



On September 26, while taking a bird walk, another Catbird 

 was heard singing the whisper song in some hazel brush beside 

 a fence. The singer was not more than six feet away, and was 

 scarcely audible at that distance. 



Other birds that were heard singing the whisper song during 

 the fall migration were the White-throated Sparrow, Field Spar- 

 row, Indigo Bunting, Warbling Vireo, and House Wren. 



The whisper songs of the Catbird and House Wren were the 

 softest of any of the birds heard singing in this manner, and one 

 had to be very close to them to hear it. 



Port Byron, 111. 



J. J. SCHAFER. 



