EBBD WARBLER 



Bedshank {Totanus calidris). The alarm-note of the Blackbird 

 is often well imitated, and the call-note of a Pied Wagtail 

 (Motacilla lugubris) fluttering out of the reeds, or of a King- 

 fisher {Alcedo ispida) flying above, is sometimes well repro- 

 duced. The cries of the different Terns, where a colony 

 happens to be breeding in proximity to a reed bed, will often 

 be incorporated with the song, and I have also heard perfect 

 imitations of a call-note of the Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Icterine 

 Warbler (Hypolais icterina), Sedge Warbler and Willow 

 Warbler. But in judging of the power of imitation it is 

 necessary to bear in mind the possibility of some of the 

 notes, which are apparently perfect copies of those of another 

 species, being in reality a natural part of the vocal powers 

 of the imitator. For instance, I remember hearing a Blackbird 

 introduce into its song throughout the breeding season the 

 cry of the Curlew {Numenius arquata) in a very perfect 

 manner. Possibly it may have heard a Curlew, but in the 

 district in which it was singing it is scarcely probable that 

 it had done so, for that species, with the exception of an 

 individual occasionally passing over at a considerable height, 

 is unknown there. At the time I did not believe that the 

 imitation, perfect as it was, was genuine, but rather part of 

 the true song slightly altered, and later I was confirmed in 

 this opinion upon finding that only a slight alteration is 

 required to produce such a result. There are some imitations 

 which we need not hesitate to declare to be imitations pure 

 and simple. When a bird interrupts its true song, and for a few 

 moments introduces that of another, differing in combination 

 and possibly in tone, we can point to it with some certainty 

 as an imitation. On the other hand there may be a perfect 

 resemblance in the song of two species which we can be 

 equally certain has no foundation in the imitative faculty. 

 It is only with difficulty that the true song of the Icterine 

 Warbler can be distinguished from that of the Marsh Warbler, 

 yet no one could say that one is an imitation, although it 

 may be a perfect representation, of the other. Both songs 



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