BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 85 



imitate the notes that take their fancy, so to speak. 

 Thus, occasionally one strikes out a phrase, a new 

 expression, which appears to please him, and after 

 a few moments he repeats it again, then again, and 

 so on and on, and if you remain an hour within hear- 

 ing he will perhaps be still repeating it at short 

 intervals. Now if by chance there is something in 

 the new phrase which pleases the listeners too, you 

 will note that they instantly suspend their own 

 singing, and for some little time they do nothing 

 but listen. By and by the new note or phrase will 

 be exactly reproduced from a bird on another bush ; 

 and he too will begin repeating it at short intervals. 

 Then a second one will get it, then a third, and 

 eventually all the birds in that thicket will have it. 

 The constant repeating of the new note may then go 

 on for hours, and it may last longer. You may return 

 to the spot on the second day and sit for an hour or 

 longer listening and still hear that same note con- 

 stantly repeated until you are sick and tired of it, 

 or it may even get on your nerves. I remember that 

 on one occasion I avoided a certain thicket, one of 

 my favourite daily haunts, for three whole days not 

 to hear that one everlasting sound ; then I returned 

 and to my great relief the birds were all at their 

 old game of composing, and not one uttered — 

 perhaps he didn't dare — the too hackneyed phrase. 

 I was sharply reminded one day by an incident 



