SIDE UGHTS ON BIRDS 



It is added that the writer persuaded birds to 

 sing, right into the middle of winter, by supplying 

 them with the small quantity of water contained 

 in soaked bread. 



But setting the poets and other " inveterate 

 anthropomorphists " aside, and meeting the 

 modern scribe on liis own firm ground of fact we 

 should like to observe (i) That birds largely 

 cease to sing in July, however wet it may be : 

 (2) that they sing most profusely and enthusias- 

 tically in the fine weather of April and May. And 

 we would further ask why, if the writer has pur- 

 suaded birds to sing right into the middle of 

 winter by supplying them with a small quantity 

 of water, nature herself should be less successful 

 when she provides them with her own more 

 abundant floods during the same period ? 



Mimicry. 



One interesting use to which certain species 

 put their vocal powers is that of mimicry — a 

 practice, we believe, never attempted by mammal 

 (man of course accepted) reptile, or insect. The 

 most striking instance of this mimicry is seen in 

 the parrot, and is clearly the result of education. 

 But the desire to reproduce sounds that may be 

 heard around them is implanted in the breasts of 

 many most dissimilar types, even in the wild 

 state. 



The trick of reproducing the notes of other 

 birds, may be found, as Mr. B. P. Butterfield 

 recently pointed out, even in the whinchat. 

 Our raven, jackdaw, magpie, jay and starling, 

 are all adepts at imitation, and, in America, the 

 mocking-bird is notorious. A correspondent has 

 stated that she taught a wild blackbird that fre- 

 quented her garden to sing the notes of " Weel 

 may the keel row ** and Mr. Frank Finn has re- 



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