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. 5 79). 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 



