140 



THE SINGING TIME OF BIRDS: 



NOTES MADE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 

 SCARBOROUGH. 



W. GYNGELL, 



Scarborough. 



In singling", birds use a different org-an to that employed by man 

 for the same purpose, which we know as the larynx ; situated in 

 the upper part of the windpipe. The syrinx, found only in 

 birds, is, on the contrary, situated at the lower end of the 

 trachea and adjoining parts of the bronchi. 



It is, perhaps, not necessary to describe this organ which, 

 variously developed in the different families of birds, is their 

 sole voice instrument, the tongue not being used in any way 

 connected with this purpose. 



The next point to make clear is what naturalists mean when 

 they speak of the song of a bird, and as probably no two people 

 agree as to what birds can and what cannot sing, some saying 

 that the Thrush sings and others maintaining that it only 

 whistles, I shall for once agree with the poet who says : ' Loud 

 swells the of chanticleer.' 'Out on ye, Owls, nothing but 

 songs of death,' and of the Cuckoo, ' In May, he sings all day.' 



Taking the fullest latitude, I shall then include amongst bird 

 songs the bubbling call of the Little Grebe, the weird and eerie 

 spring voice of the Curlew, the grating cry of the Corn Crake, 

 and other of those vocal efforts of birds which are generally 

 used in courting the opposite sex, to send forth a challenge or 

 greeting to another bird of the same species, to form part of 

 a duet with another individual, or a voice unit in one g'rand 

 chorus. 



But before dealing with the song proper, I should briefly 

 refer to the general language of birds which, in some respects 

 the highest of all earthly animals, have a vocabulary in scope 

 far exceeding what even the ordinary naturalist would suppose ; 

 and further, it is my belief, supported by personal observations,, 

 that birds can and do talk, or, if you like, utter sounds or signal 

 notes to each other which, under ordinary circumstances, the 

 human ear is incapable of perceiving". 



As examples of bird language we have : — 



(i) The ' Halloa' or ' Good morning"' call, when one bird 

 first meets another of the same species. 



Naturalist, 



