July, 1903 | 
THE CONDOR 
87 
During the short breeding season from March through May, when the flocks 
are disbanded and the birds are in pairs, the same notes are used between the 
mates. These express about the same meaning as during the rest of the year, but 
of course, often have to do with the nest and young. But there is no vestige of a 
distinctive spring-song, as I have seen ascribed to the bush-tit. 
To summarize: I have attempted to describe more minutely the bush-tit’s 
notes as they sound to me. Of course I realize how hard it is to describe bird- 
voices. And also, as I have often had opportunity to note, hardly any two per- 
sons receive the same impression of a single bird’s song. No two people seem to 
hear exactly alike. 
Each of the five notes defined beyond is perfectly distinct, and each at once 
.signifies to me some particular and easily recognizable state of mind of the birds 
in que.stion. 
1. Faint one-syllabled simple notes, usually uttered in irregular succession 
while the birds are undisturbed, and intently gathering food or nest material. 
( 7 iz 7 , tsit\ tsit] tsit.) 
2. From one to five of the simple notes uttered somewhat more loudly and 
followed by a rather shrill quavering note of longer duration. This is uttered 
among members of a flock or between a pair of birds when not intently feeding, 
but when moving more or less rapidly with restless activity from tree to tree in 
some definite direction. {Tsit, tsit, tsit, sre-e-e-e; tsit, sre-e-e-e.) 
3. The same as the last, that is, the one to five simple notes followed by a 
quavering trill, but pronounced with much more volume and emphasis, and, ac- 
cording to circumstances, more hurriedly. This is uttered by lone individuals 
suddenly finding themselves separated from one another or from the main flock. 
( Tsit' , Tsit' , sre-e-e-e'.) 
4. Of the same quality as the simple one-syllabled note first described, but 
greatly intensified, and pronounced abruptly, several in rapid succession This is 
uttered by parent birds when a nest is disturbed, and by a few certain individuals 
in a flock, upon the first appearance of any enemy. In the case of mammals, such 
as a cat, hog, or squirrel, or a person, this simple alarm-note is not followed by the 
confusion chorus to be next described. ( Tsit"-, tsit' , tsit'; tsit".) 
5. shrill quavering trill, of the same quality as described under No. 2 above, 
but without the preceding simple notes, and chanted continuou.sly in a monotone 
by all members of a flock for as long as two minutes. This peculiar chorus is 
uttered only during the presence of such an avian enemy as the sharp-shinned. 
Cooper, sparrow, or pigeon hawk, and owls, if these latter happen to be startled 
into a day-time flight, as occasionally happens. {Sre-e-e e-e e, etc.) 
The White-necked Raven 
BY VERNON B.\II.HV 
M y first acquaintance with the white-necked raven began late in November 
of 1889 at Wilcox, Arizona, where a flock of about fifty of the birds were 
feeding around the stock yards and cawing hoarsely Irom tops of tele- 
graph poles with apparently no notion of migrating to warmer latitudes. At El 
