100 BIRD-KEEPER'S MANUAL. 



tance off, is indeed one of nature's own sweet 

 concerts, to which I have often listened with de- 

 light. They are very amusing birds in a cage, 

 throwing themselves into all kinds of attitudes, 

 and trying to imitate all they hear. There was 

 one kept for some time in Quincy Market, near 

 the poultry stalls, where, sometimes, the fowls 

 are left alive, in cribs. This bird showed him- 

 self an apt scholar, and imitated perfectly the 

 crowing of a cock, which attracted a good deal 

 of attention. This bird is classed by the late 

 lamented Alexander Wilson, as a Stare, or Star- 

 ling, (the opinion of some high authorities to the 

 contrary, notwithstanding.) That this close ob- 

 server of nature, and self-taught genius, was 

 right in this, (as he was in almost every thing he 

 advanced,) I had sufficient proof, last summer, to 

 convince the most skeptical. I had two young 

 Red Winged Starlings, and an old English Star- 

 ling, in two cages, beside each other. The Red 

 Wings, in their gait and attitudes, in their man- 

 ner of eating the same food, in the tone of their 

 voice, their imitative powers, and even the color 

 of their plumage, were fac-similes of their great 

 type, the old English Starling; and some of 

 their notes bearing a resemblance like his to the 

 articulation of syllables, I have no doubt they 



