244 





tfHfc ZOOlOGISt. 













Number of 





Number of 



Bird imitated. 







imitations. 





imitative Larks. 



Cirl Bunting, or Yellow 



Bunting 53 



% 



31 



Swallow 





... 



30 



... 



21 



Meadow Pipit 





... 



29 



... 



19 



Blackbird's alarm 





... 



21 



... 



15 



House Sparrow ... 





... 



23 



... 



14 



Peewit 





... 



21 



... 



13 



The Starlings (eighteen) sang, 275 imitations, which were 

 related principally to the subjects, and in the proportion set out 

 in the following table : — 



Number of 

 Bird imitated. imitations. 



Number of 

 imitative Starlings. 



House Sparrow ... 3(5 

 Greenfinch ... ... 22 



14 

 10 



Yellow Bunting's or Cirl Bunting's) ■,* 

 song ... ... j 



Partridge ... ... 29 



Green Woodpecker ... 16 

 Jackdaw ... ... 22 



10 



9 

 9 



8 



Nine Sedge Warblers sang altogether 281 imitations, a few of 

 which are contained in the next table. The birds were heard 

 near human habitations : — 



Bird imitated. 

 House Sparrow ... 

 Chaffinch 

 Starling 



Blackbird's alarm 

 Wagtail's cry 

 Swallow 



The total number of different imitations sung by the Thrush 

 seems to be about forty, while the Redbreast, Sky Lark, Starling, 

 and Sedge Warbler have thirty each. 



The more imitative song-birds appear to be readily influenced 

 by changes in the more persistent sounds that are frequent 

 around them. I give here an extract from one of my tables, 

 showing the changes induced in the song of the Eedbreast by the 

 songs of some of the summer visitors to Britain : — 



Number of 

 imitations. 



Number of imita- 

 tive Sedge-birds. 



42 



... 



9 



24 



... 



8 



20 



... 



8 



19 



... 



7 



18 



... 



6 



21 



... 



5 



