136 WOOD NOTES WILD. 
Genesis oF Birp Sona. — Contin. 
1889, pp. 91-102. I never see a brown thrush flashing his brilliant song 
from the highest spray of a tree without letting a thought go back over 
the way he has come to us, and I always feel that to protect and defend 
the song-bird is one of man’s clearest duties.” — Thompson, M.: Sylvan 
Secrets, p. 97. 
“The growth of Melody has been clear and natural enough. Nature 
itself laid the foundation when Sound first broke out in its thousand 
shades and colorings, from the grateful hum of bees to the terrific roar 
of monster ocean. It is this world of sound — Nature’s great diapason — 
which we draw upon when molding into shape the nursery lullaby, or the 
operatic scena which commands the admiration of patrician and plebeian 
alike. Tosound monophonic tones is possible to both man and beast, 
and the first cravings of primitive man were towards an imitation of the 
soands of life around him. In this way the Kamtschatkales have this 
succession of tones : — 
| ms i 
= ee t z 
ca oy + 
not from any musical system, but by imitating the ery of the wild duck. 
The notes constitute the open or arpeggio form of our chords §, $. The 
moanings of man and beast doubtless led to the first funeral chants, 
such as the Egyptian Maneros, called by the Greeks Linos (Alvos), and 
reputed the oldest music in the world.” — Crowest, F. J.: Musical Ground- 
work, pp. 88-89, 
SINGING AND DANCING. 
And if man has profited by the example of the birds in 
the art of song, how about the sister art of dancing? 
“The white-banded mocking-bird of southern South America — perhaps 
the finest feathered melodist in the world —is one of those species that 
accompany music with appropriate motions. And just as its song is, so 
to speak, inspired and an improvisation unlike any song the bird has ever 
uttered, so its motions all have the same character of spontaneity, and 
follow no order, and yet have a grace and passion and a perfect harmony 
with the music unparalleled among birds possessing a similar habit. 
While singing he passes from bush to bush, sometimes delaying a few 
moments on and at others just touching the summits, and at times sinking 
