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note like that of the Cat-bird, and in part like the sound 
made by putting the lower lip to the upper teeth, and cal- 
ling ’tsli’vah, 9 tsh’vah . After this the call of kerry-kerry- 
kerry-kerry struck up with an echoing sound, heightened 
by the hollow bank of the river whence it proceeded. 
At length, more delicately than at first, in an under tone, 
you hear anew, and in a tender accent, peto peto peto. In 
the caprice and humor of our performer, tied by no rules 
but those of momentary feeling, the expression will per- 
haps change into a slow and full p e e f-p e e t- a-p e e t- a-p eet, 
then a low and very rapid ker-ker-ker-kcr-ker-kerry , some- 
times so quick as almost to resemble the rattle of a watch- 
man. At another time, his morning song commences 
like the gentle whispers of an aerial spirit, and then be- 
coming high and clear like the voice of the nightingale, 
he cries keeva keeva keeva keeva , but soon falling into the 
querulous, the day-day-day-day-day-dait of the Chica- 
dee, terminates his performance. Imitative, as well as 
inventive, I have heard the Peto also sing something like 
the lively chatter of the Swallow, let a-leta-leta-let alit , and 
then vary into peto-peto-peto-peto-peto extremely quick. 
Unlike the warblers, our cheerful Peto has no trill, or any 
other notes than these simple, playful, or pathetic calls ; 
yet the compass of voice and the tone in which they are 
uttered, their capricious variety and their general effect, 
at the season of the year when they are heard, are quite as 
pleasing, to the contemplative observer, as the more ex- 
quisite notes of the summer songsters of the verdant 
forest. 
The sound of ’ whip-tom-kelly , which I so distinctly 
heard this bird utter, on the 17th of January, 1830, 
near Barnwell, in South Carolina, is very remarkable, 
and leads me to suppose that this species is also an in- 
habitant of the West India islands, where Sloane attri- 
