THE LIFE OF BIRDS 151 
(Before noticing me,) chirrup, cheerup ; 
(pausing in alarm, at my approach,) che, che, che ; 
(broken presently by a thoughtful strain,) caw, caw ; 
(then softer and more confiding,) "see, Ste, See 3 
(then the original note, in a whisper,) chirrup, cheerup ; 
(often broken by a soft note,) see, Wee 3 
(and an odder one,) squeal ; 
(and a mellow note,) tweedle. 
And all these were mingled with more com- 
plex combinations, and with half imitations, as 
of the Bluebird, so that it seemed almost im- 
possible to doubt that there was some specific 
meaning, to him and his peers, in this endless 
vocabulary. Yet other birds, as quick-witted as 
the Robins, possess but one or two chirping 
notes, to which they seem unable to give more 
than the very rudest variation of accent. 
The controversy concerning the singing birds 
of Europe and America has had various phases 
and influential disputants. Buffon easily con- 
vinced himself that our Thrushes had no songs, 
because the voices of all birds grew harsh in 
savage countries, such as he naturally held this 
continent to be. Audubon, on the other hand, 
relates that even in his childhood he was as- 
sured by his father that the American song- 
sters were the best, though neither Americans 
nor Europeans could be convinced of it. Mac- 
Gillivray, the Scottish naturalist, reports that 
Audubon himself, in conversation, arranged 
