The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-04-26
Bird-Songs.

1t IS an lndiscretion ever to say OF
bird that he has only such and such
notes. You may have been his friend
for years, but the next time you go into
the woods he will likely enough put you
to shame by singing something not even
limited at in your description. [ thought
knew the song of the yellow-rumped
warbler, having listened to it many
times,--a slight characterless thing,
sharp and unmusical. But coming down
Mount Willard one day in June, heard
a warbler's song which brought me to
sudden halt It was new and beautiful
more beautiful, it seemed at the mo-
ment, than any warbler's song I had
ever heard. What could it be? A little
patient waiting (while the black-fiies
and mosquitoes ''came upon me to eat
in full view-my old acquaintance, the
yellow-rumped warbler.
With all this strong tendency on the
part of birds to vary their music, how
IS it that there is still such a degree of
uniformity, so that, as we have said, ev-
cry species may be recognized by its
notes? Why does every red-eyed vireo
sing in one way, and every white-eyed
Vireo in another? Who teaches the
young clipper to trill, and the young
linnet to warble? In short, how do birds
come by their music? Is it all a matter
Of instinct, inherited habit, or do they
learn it? The answer seems to be that
birds sing as children talk, by simple
imitation. Nobody imagines that the
infant is born with language printed
upon his brain. The father and mother
may never have known a word of any
tongue except the English, but if the
child is brought up to hear only Chinese,
he will infallibly speak that, and moth
ing else. And careful experiments have
shown that the same is true of birds
Taken from the nest just after they
leave the shell, they invariably sing,
not their own so-called natural song but
the song of their foster-parents; provid-
ed, of course, that this is not anything
beyond their physical capacity. The no.
GoriOus house sparrow (our English"
sparrow), in his wild or se1ni-domestica-
ted state, never makes a musical sound:
but if he is taken in hand early enough,
he may be taught to sing, so it is said,
dearly as well as the canary. Bechstein
relates that Paris clergyman had two
Of these SparrOWs whom he had trained
to speak, and, among other things, to
recite several of the shorter command
ments; and the narrative goes on to say
that it was sometimes very comioal when
the pair were disputing over their food,
to hear one gravely admonish the other,
''Thou shalt not stealr' 1t would be in
teresting to know why creatures thus
gifted do not sing of their own motion.
With their amiability and sweet peace
ableness they ought to be caroling the
whole year round.
| This question of the transmission of
songs from one generation to another is,
of course, q part of the general subject
of animal intelligence, subject much
! discussed in these days on account of its
| bearing upon the modern doctrine con-
cerning the relation of man to the infe-
rior orders.
We have nothing to do with such a
| theme, but it may not be out of place to
suggest to preachers and moralists that
here is striking and unhackneyed Illus
tration of the force of early training
Birds sing by imitation, it is true, but as
rule they initiate only the notes which
they hear during the first few weeks af-
ter they are hatched. One of Mr.. Bar
rington's linnets, for example, after be-
ing educated under titlark, was put
into room with two birds of his own
species, where he heard them sing freely
every day for three months. He made
no attempt to learn anything from them
however, but kept on singing what the
titlark had taught him quite unconscious
of anything singular or unpatriotic in
such a course. This law, that impress
sions received during the immaturity OF
the powers become the unalterable hab
it OF the after life, is perhaps the mos
ruomentous of ali the laws in whose
power we find ourselves. Sometimes
we are tempted to call it cruel. But
iR it were annulled, this would be .
strange world. What hurly- -hurly we
should have among the birds! There
would be no more telling them by their
notes. Thrushes and jays, wrens and
chickadees, finches and warblers, all
would be singing one grand medley.
Between these two opposing tenden-
cies, one urging to variation, the other
to permanence for Nature herself is
half radical, half conservative), the
language of birds has grown from rude
beginnings to its present beautiful diver
sitv; and whoever lives century o.
millenniums hence will listen to music
such as we in this day can only dream
OF. Inappreciably but ceaselessly the
work goes on. Here and there is horr
master-singer. a feathered genius anc
every generation makes its own addition
to the glorious inheritance, ,-Bradforc
T0rrey in 4prU Attantio
-a--o s-.---