THE EVOLUTION OF BIRD-SONG. 287 



by the young and adult male and female Chaffinch; the last 

 employing it in spring both as a call for each other and for their 

 young. The "did-it" of the Greenfinch seems to be contracted 

 by the Yellow Bunting and Cirl Bunting into two very rapid 

 notes which are uttered almost at once, as a common call. 



"Tell-tell" is heard in the young and adult Linnet; and is, 

 with them, always a call-note. It is much varied by the male 

 House Sparrow, and is uttered by this bird both in song and as 

 a warning, sometimes being very rapidly repeated. It is also 

 heard in the songs of the Goldfinch and Siskin, and appears to be 

 modified in the "pink" of the Chaffinch. The "tewy" of the 

 adult Greenfinch is very closely repeated as a love-call by the 

 female House Sparrow, and is employed by her, in a modified 

 tone, as an alarm-call-note. 



The strange note "zshweo" is uttered by the adult male 

 Greenfinch alone or at the end of a phrase ; it seems to be never 

 addressed to the female; but the rattling together of the mandibles 

 during combat produces a similar sound. It is absent from the 

 voice of the House Sparrow, but is heard in the songs of the 

 Linnet, Goldfinch, and Siskin ; and is employed by the Goldfinch 

 during combat. The penultimate syllable (to borrow a term) of 

 the song of the Chaffinch is generally, but not always, a hard 

 note, higher than the concluding notes, and apparently it is an 

 abbreviation of "zshweo." The "zurse" common note of the 

 Yellow Bunting may have had the same origin. One of the notes 

 of the Reed Bunting is very like the "pink" of the Chaffinch. 

 A brown migratory finch, larger than the Goldfinch, and very 

 wild, feeding in March on the larches near Stroud, has all the 

 above cries of the Greenfinch, but a coarser " zshweo." I have 

 been unable to identify this bird. 



The "coos" of the Stock Dove, Cushat, Turtle Dove, and 

 Collared Turtle Dove betray a family resemblance, but it will be 

 noticed that the short, jerky notes of the Stock Dove are not 

 unlike the cries which form " cuckoo." The note of the Hoopoe 

 may have the same character. 



It appears that many of the Anatidce are described as uttering 

 whistling cries, and I have noticed that the cry of the Common 

 Sheldrake is closely like the cries of the young of the Common 

 Duck and Mute Swan. I have heard few of the Rasores, but may 

 remark that the "crow " of the Pheasant, of a persistent character, 



