THE MOCKING BIRD. 6h 



European nightingale. This, however, I am unable to dt 

 from my own observation, having never myself heard the 

 song of the latter; and, even if I had, perhaps something 

 might be laid to the score of partiality, which, as a faithful 

 biographer, I am anxious to avoid. I shall, therefore, 

 present the reader with the opinion of a distinguished English 

 naturalist and curious observer, on this subject, the Honour- 

 able Daines Barrington, who, at the time he made the com- 

 munication, was vice-president of the Royal Society, to which 

 it was addressed. 



" It may not be improper here," says this gentleman, " to 

 consider whether the nightingale may not have a very 

 formidable competitor in the American Mocking Bird, 

 though almost all travellers agree, that the concert in the 

 European woods is superior to that of the other parts of the 

 globe." '^I have happened, however, to hear the Amencan 

 Mocking Bird, in great perfection, at Messrs. Vogels and 

 Scotts, in Love Lane, Eastcheap. This bird is believed to 

 be still living, and hath been in England these six years 

 During the ^pace of a minute, he imitated the woodlark, 

 chaffinch, blackbird, thrush, and sparrow. I was told also 

 that he would bark like a dog ; so that the bird seems to 

 have nc choice in his imitations, though his pipe comes 

 nearest to our nightingale of any bird I have yet met with. 



"With regard to the original notes, however, of this bird, 

 we are still at a loss, as this can only be known by those 

 who are accurately acquaint^ with the song of the other 



