2 
NATURK STUDY. 
extemporaneously introduced as an embellishment.” If 
our former honored citizen, Mr. Moore, had studied the 
song sparrow’s performances for the special purpose of 
perfecting his definition, it could not have better fitted this 
particular case. The notes of the prelude, being given 
with deliberation and definite emphasis, may be fairly well 
represented. What may be called the typical form is this : 
spink — spink — spink — kre-e-e - etc. 
Frequently the number of introductory notes is more or 
less than three, and only yesterday I heard a song, many 
times repeated, in which they were omitted altogether. 
Another interesting variation is the following, often given 
by a sparrow who nests in our grounds and who more com¬ 
monly sings the typical song noted above : 
Me- 
tick — too — tick — too — kre-e-e- - - etc. 
This form is used apparently when the bird is bubbling 
over with high spirits and feels that his usual song is in¬ 
sufficient to express his sentiments. 
It would scarcely seem that the chipping sparrow’s song, 
that “dry, tuneless trill,” so monotonous, yet so cheerful, 
could be susceptible of variation. Yet it does actually 
vary in quality. The pine warbler has a song so much 
like chippie’s that it takes a practiced ear to distinguish 
the two, even when both are given with typical intonation. 
But some chippies have better voices than others, and 
