86 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
superior to that of the nightingale. It is supposed to be 
referred to in the second of the following stanzas:_ 
When shaws been sheene, and shradds full fayre 
And leaves both large and longe, 
Itt is merrye walkyng in the fayre forest 
To lieare the small birdes songe. 
The woodwale sang, and wold not cease, 
Sitting upon the spraye, 
Soe lowde he wakened Robin Hood, 
In the greenwood where he lay. 
‘ Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne/' St. 1-2.) * 
The woodwale has been variously interpreted as wood- 
pecker, thrush, woodlark, redbreast, golden ouzel,—a wide 
choice. It is also mentioned by Lydgate : 
On fressh braunches syngith the wodwale ; 
(“ On the Mutability of human affairs/’ St. 4.) 
The song of the crested lark is inferior to that of the two 
preceding birds, and is a combination of the songs of the 
skylark and linnet (BC, p. 314). 
Whilst the compass of the skylark includes a little more 
than an octave, its usual song is pitched in the upper part of 
the compass, hovering in trills and slurs about one particular 
note that appears to form the principal note of the song. This 
note is varied in many ways; in vocalization, in speed, in open¬ 
ness or restriction of the sound, in being slurred to or slurred 
from ; so that whilst in general the pitch varies little, there is 
11^ " ^ iy in the song. As appears to be the 
case with other birds, different districts have different songs. 
The fragment of song shewn in (1) was taken at Kapiti Island, 
other combinations also being heard, but these were the most 
frequently repeated;—not by any means in this order always, 
for there appears to be no order in the song; whistles, burrs, 
slurs, vibratos, alternating as the bird fancies but as no rule 
dictates. The slurs may drop through a semitone or a tone, 
the upper note being predominant. Part of the song reminded 
me, by its vocalization, of 
* 
The lark, that tirra-tirra chants, 
A ith, hey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay:— 
