IMITATION 165 



duce into its song " the bleating of a lamb, mewing 

 of a cat, the note of a kite or buzzard, hooting of an 

 owl, and even the neighing of a horse. These imita- 

 tions are so exact, even in a wild state, that we 

 have frequently been deceived " (Montagu, quoted by 

 Macgillivray, op. cit. vol. i. p. 579). Yarrell and others 

 also mention its imitativeness, with which, indeed, 

 we are all familiar. Its near ally, the blue jay of 

 America, is evidently a great mimic (Wilson, op. cit. 

 vol. i. p. 27). None should need the citation of an 

 authority for the statement that the starling is 

 exceedingly imitative when wild or in a cage (but 

 see Yarrell op. cit. 4th ed. vol. ii. pp. 229, 230). 

 The jays are the most arboreal of the order to 

 which they belong ; and to their residence among 

 trees may be attributed their frequent and elaborate 

 use of the voice. 



I consider that the mistle-thrush is a moderately 

 good mimic, although its mimicry is uttered in a 

 tone much softer than its ordinary full notes, and in 

 consequence of this, and of the wariness of the bird, 

 is difficult to hear. The thrush is a capital mimic, re- 

 producing in its song a multitude of sounds borrowed 

 from its avian neighbours. For an excellent de- 

 scription of the mimicry of the mocking-bird, see 

 Wilson's work (vol. i. pp. 166, 167). The catbird 



