PARALLEL GROWTH OF BIRD AND HUMAN MUSIC. 
477 
, „ Field-sparrow No. 2. 
J = 128. 
1 r t-i 
0 - 
r ~0 
0 - 
f~f f 
s ? ttbtt .. 1 1 . 1 1 ! 1n 
f 7 TT~ YjT 
M f -- 1 
XA ) 
Chewink No. i. 
if s? 
] 
) 0 * J 
11) f J 
tc 
V <0 .....I 
/ ^ 1 1 
Chewink No. 2. 
1 
0- 
/ 0 
&1 
> 
■> # 
1 
tr 
y <•> j 
5s 
7 z 1 
fj 
^--1- - 
Meadow-lark No. i. 
72. - 0 -• • - 0 - - g - 
J_1 l _1_L 1 1 
0 
/ , O 1/ £ 
h < L 
1 
V V 
- *-1 
IT 
V A * 
T Hr. 
- 
Meadow-lark No. 2. 
72. -0- 
1 T“ tr • • *P" 'f" 0 
j 
r ^ f > y y \ 1 ! j * r 
fr 
\ S/\ V 1 ^ A _ 
V 
/ 4 1 
ty 
r 
A noteworthy incident was connected 
with the duet of the meadow-larks. Af¬ 
ter they had sung responsively as here 
shown for a while, both began singing 
slightly out of tune, and in a short time, 
by gradual degrees, they had exchanged 
parts, so that No. 1 sang the phrase 
originally sung by No. 2, while No. 2 
sang that originally uttered by No. 1. 
This was a musical feat that human 
singers would doubtless find it difficult 
to imitate. I have also heard a musical 
answer to the bit of melody just now 
quoted from the song-sparrow: 
and although this could hardly be said 
to be antiphonal singing, as I heard it, 
since the answering phrase was sung a 
year later than the original phrase, and 
at a point forty miles distant, yet I am 
strongly inclined to believe that the 
second phrase originated as a direct re¬ 
sponse to the first. The same may be said 
of an example from the chewink: 
#1—120. # * 
f—f f f 
h i—i— : 
• 
0 
T- * * 
—y 
—- - - 
— 
* 
1= 112. 
m a a a ^ 
/^AAAA 
"f* a • 
1- & 
A 
1- 1 
— y —■—1- 1 — 
* 
— " - 
7 0 1 
The second phrase was separated from 
the first by a year of time, although it 
was delivered in the same locality. Both 
may have been given by the same bird, 
the later being merely a variation of the 
earlier; but in view of the antiphonal 
practice among certain species, including 
the chewink, it is also possible that the 
later form was originally derived from 
the other as a direct answer. In these 
instances of antiphonal singing the second 
phrase is not merely an answer to the 
first; it is a musical answer. It seems 
probable that the birds derive aesthetic 
enjoyment from such singing, much the 
same as we should ourselves obtain 
from it. 
But the most remarkable instance of 
appreciation of form in music that I 
have noted comes from the wood-pewee, 
a bird whose structural development is 
not sufficiently advanced to bring its pos¬ 
sessor within the class technically known 
as singing birds. Analysis of the ballad 
form in human music shows that repeti¬ 
tion plays an important part, and that 
the few phrases that are required to build 
up a song have a certain symmetrical ar¬ 
rangement. There is, in the simplest 
form, a first theme, an answering theme 
ending with a note that leaves the musical 
satisfaction suspended, a repetition of 
the first theme, and a repetition of the 
second theme (exactly or in general char¬ 
acter), ending with a satisfying note, the 
key-note. The notation of “ Home, Sweet 
Home ” at the top of the next page 
will serve to illustrate both the sys¬ 
tematic arrangement of themes and 
the meagreness of material used. 
Many of our hymn tunes follow this 
form, either exactly or approximately. 
Now the wood - pewee, with no other 
material than those few plaintive, dis- 
