IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Otago Witness, Issue 2858, 23 December 1908, Page 14

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

A WONDERFUL MUSICAL-BOX. HOW THE SWEETEST SONGS ON EARTH ARE SUNG. "(By. James Dktjmmond, F.L.S., F.Z.S.) New Zealand's plants are noted for the rareness of their bright flowers, and New Zealand's birds for the rareness ot their bright plumage. With a few conspicuous exceptions, the flowers of the native flora 4re far from gay; and the pigeon, the kingfisher, the shining cuckoo, and the parrakeets are almost the only native birds whose plumage has not a tendency towards dullness. In accordance v.ith this equality of condition between the plants and the birds, the latter number in their ranks few gifted singers. In the bonnie months of spring, when all -Nature is pulsating with the joy of life, and when only the utterly forlorn and grief-stricken walk hand-in-hand with melancholy, New Zealand land birds unite once a day in sending forth a glorious chorus of wild melodies. It is a loud, joyous, and bewildering song, and it fills every dark nook and cranny of the gre&i sombre forests. But it usually dies away as soon as it has heralded the dawn. After the sun has gained ite full strength the forests may be traversed for hours without hearing a song of any kind. As a rule, it is only occasionally that the silence is broken by the liquid notes ot the tui and the bell-bird. They sometimes sound a single note, and the ringing "ding" or "dong "'comes down from some hidden spot in the foliage, as if an invisible hand had accidentally struck a well-tuned silver bell. At best, these birds sound only five or six notes. The robins, crows, and other native birds that have musical talents do not display them very often. To be absolutely correct, New Zealand has no song-birds. No native bird can trill like the English lark or modulate like the English thrush. It the people of the Dominion wish to hear the greatest song on earth, they have to go to the English interlopers. Yet there is not a., native bird that does not possess an ingenious and elaborate musical-box, capable of producing enchanting sounds. This apparatus has been given to birds alone of all beings in the world. It is at the bottom of the windpipe; .The windpipe extends dewnwaxds from a narrow slot on the floor of the mouth at the back of the tongue, and branches off into two equal parts, which communicate with the lungs. The musical-box, or syrinx, to give it its scientific name, is placed at the spot where the windpipe branches before it enters the lungs. All the air that comes out of the lungs and rushes up the windpipe, through the slot at the back of the tongue, and out of the mouth, must pass through the syrinx. Neither the' tongue nor the windpipe takes any part in the production of a bird's song, note, twitter, or chirrup. The responsibility rests entirely with the syrinx. In parrots, the tongue helps in the distinctness of articulation, but it does not produce the sound. At one time it was a common practice to split the tongues of magpies, crows, and other birds, in order to help their vocalisation. This is not only cruel but also quite unnecessary. As far as the voice is concerned the windpipe is merely a sounding tube. It is composed of a long series of gristly or bony rings, held together by a membrane. This membrane, which is controlled by strong side muscles, is so elastic that it can be drawn out to twice its ordinary size. The musical instrument is played upon by tiny muscular performers. Mußical talents in birds are not in proportion to the size of the syrinx. They depend upon the presence, tenseness, and strength of muscles which govern a drum-like membrane inside the syrinx, and which also operate on other parts of the organ. When these muscles are brought into play, the drum-like membrane is tightened or loosened. The air rushes up from the lungs and past the changing aperture made by increasing or decreasing the tension of the membrane, wbjich is set quivering in vocalisation. When this is taking place sometimes as many as 10 or 12 muscles are pulling this way and that way at the ends of bony half -rings that form part of the 'syrinx. This causes incalculable combinations of slightly rotating and rocking movements in the syrinx. These movements produce the modulations and variations that entrance all who hear the heavenly songs. There is a surprising range of difference in the structure and complexity of the voice-organ. This is so marked that the organ is used as an important means ot t-'issification, which is one of the most 1 Hticult tasks ornithologists have under•.ken. The largest order of birds is -\e Passers, or Peechers. It includes ■u-ge numbers of species, beginning with i'ie crow family, and embracing most of lie English birds introduced into New r-.ealand, and such native birds as crows, 1 rushes, robins, tits, fantails. the bell- • rd and tui, wrens, the kingfisher, and j on. This great group has been < ivided into two- suborders. The syrinx , the line of demarcation between them. 'he members of the first sub-order, the ''s(ines. a word taken from the old name ..:• the raven and crow, and other divin■ig birds, have true song-muscles and a (omplicate'l syrinx. The members of the second sub-order, the Clamatores, have weak muscles and a simple syrinx. A strange fact has been observed m respect to this classification, in most cases, birds with a complicated syrinx also have a special arrangement of the plates at the back of the feet. The three characters are a&sociated so often that they seem to have something in common. There are notable exceptions to this, but there is ik> doubt that that the Sjjrce of efficiency in the axxuxx is a

f very reliable test of relationship betweer j large groups and families of birds. Some birds are utterly devoid of voice muscles. They have no " vocal chords.' This is the case with the degraded kiwi, Presumably by sloth and neglect, it has lost the two delights of a bird's life, flight and son. The ostrich, another bird with a very simple syrinx, has no variety of sound. It can only roar. The moa was probably in the same unenviable position. There are birds that have complicated musical organs which are well tuned and in good order, but which they have never learnt to play. The cawing rook is one of these. The rook's syrinx is as highly specialised as the nightingale's ; but the rook has not sufficient musical ability to take advantage of its opportunities. Birds in this plight cry out for a world of sympathy. Ten thousand pens have praised the gay singers who pour forth their songs with infinite ease and grace into enraptured ears; but nobody pities the songless — A few can touch the magic string, And noisy Fame is proud to win them; Alas for those thwt never sing, But die with all their music in them! This account of the way in which the greatest songs on earth are sung does not explain the mystery of song. It explains how birds sing, but it does not explain why they sing. It does not explain why the lark sings all day long and why the kiwi is mute. It does not exJ plain why Nature gave this gift to birds I and denied it to all the rest of her creatures. Study and observation may show how Nature does things, but her reasons are her own.