14 BIRDS OF THE GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



After reading Mr. Paine's letter, I listened carefully to 

 the Song-Sparrow, in the summer of 1857, that I might 

 learn to distinguish the different tunes, as reported by 

 him. I had never thought of it before ; but in less 

 than a week I could distinctly recognize the whole seven, 

 and was convinced that his observations were perfectly 

 correct. It is remarkable that when one powerful singer 

 takes up a particular tune, other birds in the vicinity 

 will follow with the same. These are mostly in triple 

 time, some in common time, while in others the time 

 could not be distinguished. Each tune, however, con- 

 sists of four bars or strains, sometimes five, though, late 

 in the season the song is frequently broken off at the 

 end of the third strain. This habit of varying his notes 

 through so many changes, and the singularly fine intona- 

 tions of many of them, entitle the Song-Sparrow to a 

 very high rank as a singing-bird. 



There is a plain difference in the expression of these 

 several variations. The one which I have marked No. 3 

 is very plaintive, and is in common time. No. 2 is the 

 one which I have most frequently heard. No. 5 is quer- 

 ulous and unmusical. There is a remarkable precision 

 in the Song-Sparrow's notes, and the finest singers are 

 those which, in the language of musicians, display the least 

 execution. Some blend their notes together so rapidly 

 and promiscuously, and use so many operatic flourishes, 

 that if all were like them it would be impossible to distin- 

 guish the seven different variations in the song of this bird. 

 Whether these tunes of the Song-Sparrow express to 

 his mate or to others of his species different sentiments, 

 and convey different messages, or whether they are the 

 offspring of mere caprice, I cannot determine. Nor have 

 I learned whether a certain hour of the day or a certain 

 state of the weather predisposes the bird to sing a.- par- 

 ticular tune. This point may perhaps be determined by 



