and New Zealand 
Bird 
INTRODUCTION 
It has often been questioned whether any similarity exists 
between the song* of birds and the song of human beings: 
whether birds modulate their voices in intervals agreeing with 
those that build up the scale of the octave. That it is possible 
for them to do so is evident, since they are able to slur from one 
note into another, through the full octave, in the same way 
that the human voice is able to do. Yet most writers, if they 
theorize at all upon the subject of bird-song, contend that birds 
do not sing with regular or constant intervals, and “ would not 
deign to be fettered with a scale.” (FY, p. 149).* Writers are, 
however, inconsistent among themselves. It is commonly 
admitted that the cuckoo sings a minor third at the commence¬ 
ment of the season, increasing the interval regularly through 
a major third, a fourth, and a fifth, as the season advances; 
and so constant and well known is the common cry of the bird 
that it is reproduced mechanically in whistles and clocks. 
Witchell (WE, pp. 113, 116) states that the calls of the redstart, 
nightingale, chiff-chaff, willow-warbler, and white-throat are 
in upward fifths; and he has, further, recorded (WE, pp. 83, 
84) the singing by starlings of a phrase consisting of three 
fifths of different pitch. The rise of a fifth appears to be a 
natural one, for the tendency of the human voice to rise a fifth 
has often been noted (EB). It is admitted (WE, pp. 231, 232; 
and FY, pp. 257, 258) that occasionally the notes do agree 
with our notes, and the intervals with our intervals; and a 
*The letters and figures in brackets refer to authors in list of authorities, with 
pages referred to in volumes quoted. 
