T&e Singing of Birds. E. P.Bicknell. 
Zonotrichia albicollis. White-throated Sparrow. 
This Sparrow is here a winter resident, appearing from further 
north in the latter part of September, and remaining into May. 
I have heard its song every month during its stay ; but in winter, 
except at the borders of the season, singing is exceptional and 
always of imperfect expression. Song at this season seems merely 
to result from individual caprice. 
Perhaps none of our birds shows greater irregularity from year 
to year in the time of general entry into spring singing than the 
White-throated Sparrow. While early April seems to be the 
usual time for singing to begin, it is not unusual for it to com- 
mence at any time in March, and in an abnormally mild season 
may begin before the end of February. On the other hand, it is 
sometimes deferred until the middle of April. Dates of final spring 
songs run through May to the 20th, and usually, though not 
always, occur a week or more before the species has disappeared. 
This discrepancy between the time of final song and departure, 
which is also noticeable with other species, is doubtless to be at- 
tributed to the fact of the songless females outstaying the males. 
When the White-throated Sparrows reappear among us, in 
September, they are songless, and a week or two may elapse be- 
fore they give voice. Dates of first autumn songs, of several sea- 
sons, range from October 3d to yth. 
The White-throated Sparrow has two especially characteristic 
single notes ; a low cheeft, and a resonant, metallic chink. This 
last sounds not unlike the clink of a metal hammer and drill, and 
when it is uttered by several birds in regular turn the effect in 
sound is strongly suggestive of that of quarriers at work near by. 
This note chiefly belongs to the late afternoon and early evening, 
and seems to be in general use only when a party of the birds are 
settling for the night about some chosen shelter. About my resi- 
dence are large closely-grouped Norway spruces. At sundown, 
in late autumn, winter, and early spring, many White-throated 
Sparrows congregate nightly for shelter in the dark recesses of 
these shaggy evergreens. Ere they have settled for the night their 
clear resonant notes fall upon the ear in confused rehearsal, but 
they are subdued to gradual decadence with the deepening shad- 
ows, until only now and then a single note breaks the stillness ; 
then there is silence and night has fallen. 
Auk. I, Oct., 1884. p. 33 /- 3 3 X . 
jrds of 
and. 
oated Sparrow. — This bird so 
less abundant than the ubiquitous 
•iking song is far better known to 
if the clearings, building its nest 
nd singing nearly all of the time 
Its well-known song is easily 
angry and excited a male will 
[ into his own domain. The song 
ss of the night, and only those who 
ods can know how profound this 
1 to the bird many local names 
the glimmering stars, I heard it again, like 
a voice of hope calling from the depths of 
gloomy despair, and enlivening the solitude 
with its cheery notes. And as the first rays of 
the rising sun adorned the east he, first of ally 
lifted up his voice in gladness and praise. , i 
im being ‘Kennedy Bird.’ I heard 
new version which credits him with saying ‘Good Lord, pity me, pity 
e pity me.’ When the young get on the wing, the song is less fre- 
ely heard. The bird is known to the few French settlers of the island 
; rossignol (nightingale). 
Auk X, Jan, 1893. p ,ll~/JL. 
OtSsQ, 16. Not, 1890, p,)73 
IV 
