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Dr. E. Hopkinson,



Amongst our British birds, the starling and sedge-warbler are experts in

the art of producing the songs of others, and their performances in this

direction are often remarkable. A starling’s repertoire can be so varied,

and so perfect, each item being finished before the next is begun, that

one is lost in admiration of the bird’s art. How far this mimicry is

conscious or unconscious, one cannot say. It is at least certain, that

this is an inherited faculty, which may require some particular

stimulus to set it working. Dr. N. F. Ticehurst in his “ Birds of

Kent ” remarks, “ on Dungeness Beach and Romney Marsh, where

unusual opportunities occur for birds with propensities for mimicry.

I have heard the song thrushes imitating the call of the ringed plover,

and the red-legged partridge, and redshank.


Some attention has been directed in recent years, to the ques¬

tion of what may be called the “ dialect ” of bird song ; the diversities

which are found in the song of a species in different localities, or

countries. At the present time, information is perhaps too meagre

to permit of a definite opinion, but Mr. Elliott Howard in his “British

Warblers ” suggests, that probably the climate has an influence on

song, and the further West one goes, the lower becomes the pitch.


It will be seen from this brief account of bird song, that the

“ last word ” is not by any means said, md that many problems still

remain to be solved. Results of deepest value and interest still

await the earnest worker in this most fascinating field of natural

research.



SOME FIREFINCHES AND OTHER

GAMBIAN BIRDS.


By Dr. E. Hopkinson.


(Continued from Vol. VII -, No. 4, p- 116.


It is quite a long time since I had leisure to put pen to paper on

this subject and I will now leave the Seed-eaters for a time and give

a few notes on some other species, unusual as cage-birds, which I

happen to have out here in the Gambia this year. As I shall not be

able to take my usual annual leave this year, I rather doubt if they

will ever reach home, but if they do I hope to give further details

later on. The first is a



