. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. t Santa Ba NEST The Black-chinned Sparrow quality was entirely new, but its cadence was Spizelline. We declared camp at once, and a charming spot we found, under the live oak trees at a little remove across the river. We called it Black-chin Camp, of course, although the Black-chinned Hummers were there to dispute honors with atrogularis. The night dragged all too slowly with the memory of the un- seen singer to haunt the professional conscience, a
. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. t Santa Ba NEST The Black-chinned Sparrow quality was entirely new, but its cadence was Spizelline. We declared camp at once, and a charming spot we found, under the live oak trees at a little remove across the river. We called it Black-chin Camp, of course, although the Black-chinned Hummers were there to dispute honors with atrogularis. The night dragged all too slowly with the memory of the un- seen singer to haunt the professional conscience, and the no less disturb- ing promise of early so- lution in the morning. True to all the tra- ditions of hospitality, our host called us in time for breakfast (although he would not get it for us). Shrill, vibrant, pen- etrating, with the incis- iveness of a whip-crack, but infinitely sweeter, comes each note, accel- erando, until the trill is reached. Here the singer becomes disheartened, and lets his melody peter out to an inglorious fin- ish. Alternating irregu- larly with this song is another which is little more than a simple (and altogether different) trill. This phrase begins with a single inspirated note, those which follow are just distinct enough to be separated by the ear, while the terminal portion becomes rapid and diminuendo, as before. This echo song, moreover, is oftenest terminated, after the tiniest interval, by a single cheep or tsweet of characteristic qual- ity. It is as though the singer had signed his name with a flourish to a performance which we should not otherwise have recognized. It must have been this alternate, or echo song, of which Grinnell could say: "The general impression is of a weak song. It certainly does not carry far; on the contrary a bird may be singing close at hand and give the impression of a great ;1 Of the major song I can only testify that it has extraordinary carrying power, and that I have heard it distinctly (
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1923
