1889.] Developme7it of Bird Language. 93 
of a Patti to the hurly-burly of an Italian marketplace ; or (ex- 
tending parallels to tribal characters) if we compare the Fue- 
gian or Cafifiric tongues with those of more enlightened races, 
the contrast, however startling, finds its equivalent in a com- 
parison between oscine and non-oscine orders of birds. 
Between the higher and lower oscines there exists the same 
gradation of vocal attainments as exhibited by the dialects of 
nations speaking a language derived from the same parent 
tongue, and Bechstein, pushing the analogy further, instances 
how slight geographic differences of song among members of 
the same species inhabiting widely separated districts, may be 
appositely compared to "provincial dialects" among speaking 
The inference of Darwin, "that an instinctive tendency to 
acquire an art is not a peculiarity confined to man " receives 
daily confirmation in the life history of all the creatures. It 
is apparent not only in the language of birds, but also in the 
construction of their nests and in their methods of discovering 
and storing food. 
The ratiocinative processes which distinguish artificial from 
natural or innate actions are unmistakably apparent in the 
musical performances of our higher oscine birds. 
Among the North American Turdidse are several species 
which habitually retire to more secluded portions of their forest 
haunt to rehearse, in critical undertone, difficult bars and pass- 
ages of the favorite song, and it is demonstrably true that the 
older and more experienced of these vocalists surpass the 
younger by reason of their longer practice. 
In this respect bird-language has developed into a fine art 
analogous to the attainment made in bird-architecture, as ex- 
ampled by the play-houses of the Bower Bird and two Amer- 
ican wrens,' and in the ornate embellishment of their nests 
by the Trochilidae and Vireonids. 
Barrington, in his paper on the " Songs of Birds " ' has well 
remarked that " that there is no better method of investigating 
^ Trans. Phil. Soc. 1776. 
