He proceeds to mention some variations:
One such variant I have fixed in my own recollection by the syllables Ter-whiz wee-it; and another, almost unrecognizable, by the syllables Weé-yer weé-yer wee-yer. Still another beginning like Weechi wéech, ended with a hurried confusion of small notes, some low, some high. But throughout these and all the many other surprising variations I have heard about Monadnock, the characteristic tone-quality was preserved unchanged, and so were certain minor tricks, scarcely describable, of emphasis and phrasing. The tone is much like the Yellow Warbler’s and also the Chestnut-side’s, though distinctly different from either. In loudness it averages lower than the Yellow’s and about equal to the Chestnut-side’s.
Then he mentions a peculiar call note, tlep, tlep, a lisping note with a slight metallic ring, that reminded him of the siskin or of Henslow’s sparrow.
The following remarkable list of seven distinct songs recognized by Stewart Edward White (1893) is included because it represents either some very unusual variations or very keen observation:
1. Three notes followed by one lower: che-weech che-weech che-ó. 2. Three sharp clear whistles with a strong r sound, then a warble of three notes, the middle the highest, the latter clear and decisive: pra pra pra r-é-oo. 3. Two quick sharp notes followed by a warble of three notes, the middle the highest: the warble is soft and slurred: prút pút purreao. 4. A soft falsetto warble, different in tone from any other bird song: purra-ĕ-whuy-a. 5. Of the same falsetto tone uttered rapidly: prut-ut-ut-ut-ut. 5. A harsh note like, in miniature, the cry of a Jay: d kay kay kay. 7. A harsh k-e-e-e-dl, the last syllable higher by a shade, quick, and subordinated to the first part. The alarm note is a sharp zeek.
Mr. Brewster (1877) has written his impression of the song in words as, “she knew she was right; yes, she knew she was right.” Elsewhere, he writes it: “Pretty, pretty Rachel.” The latter version seems to suggest the rhythmic swing of the song very well.
Francis H. Allen (MS.) gives me several somewhat similar renderings, and mentions a migrating bird that sang for a long time early one morning in the spruces and hemlock near his house: “It was such steady and unintermittent singing as I have seldom if ever heard from any other warbler, and the bird alternated very regularly between the first and second songs—weetle weetle weetle weet, then will´ you wée sip, or will´ you will´ you wée sip, the latter song not so emphatic as usual and weaker than the other.” This alternation is not uncommon with some species of warblers, as the redstart, but I have no records of it for the magnolia. He also mentions a common call note, “a dry 2-syllabled note, tizic, a little suggestive, perhaps, of the song of the yellow-bellied flycatcher”, which he thinks has no counterpart among our warbler notes.
Aretas A. Saunders has lately sent me a full account of the song of this warbler, saying, in part: “The song of the magnolia warbler is a short one, commonly of six or seven notes, of a weak, rather colorless, but musical quality. My 49 records of this song show that the number of notes varies from 4 to 9, all but 8 of them being of either 6 or 7 notes. The 6-note songs usually consist of three, 2-note phrases. The first two are just alike, the 2 notes of each phrase on different pitches. The third phrase is either higher or lower in pitch, and frequently with the order of pitch from low to high or from high to low reversed.
“The majority of the songs have a range, in pitch, of two or two and a half tones, nearly always between A‴ and D‴′. A few songs range as much as three and a half tones, and may be as low as F‴ or up to E flat‴′, but the range for the species is only five tones.
“The songs are quite short, ranging from 3⁄5 second to 12⁄5 seconds. Individual birds often sing two or three different songs, or vary songs by dropping or adding notes.