including an Inquiry whether or not they are instinctive. 25 



influence their effect, that even the best imitations are utterly 

 inadequate to produce any thing equal to it. 



Mr. Barrington, in his Essay, has attempted to construct a 

 table, by which the comparative merits of British singing birds 

 may be examined ; but as he does not appear to have formed 

 a correct estimate of the songs of some species, and as his 

 table is inaccurate in other respects, besides being too limited, 

 I have endeavoured to supply one that will be more compre- 

 hensive, and, I trust, less objectionable ; making, as he has 

 done, the number 20 the point of absolute perfection. 



Birds 



1. Nightingale . , . 



2. Skylark 



3. Black-cap .... 



4. Pettychaps .... 



5. Redbreast .... 



6. Linnet 



7. Woodlark .... 



8. Goldfinch 



9. Sedge Warbler* . 



10. Lesser Fieldlark . 



11. Willow Wren . . 



12. Throstle 



IS. Blackbird 



14.. Chaffinch 



15. Green Grosbeak . 



16. Hedge Warbler . 



17. Wren 



18. Swallow 



19. Missel Thrush . . 



20. Starling 



21. Titlark 



22. Siskin 



23. Lesser Redpole . . 

 24.. White-throat . . . 



25. Redstart 



26. Stonechat 



27. Whinchat .... 



28. Dartford Warbler 



29. Water Ouzel f . . 



19 



4- 



14 



14 



9 



10 



18 



4 



2 



14 



19 



12 



6 



8 



15 



2 



16 



16 



7 



4 



10 



1 



14 



3 



4 



16 



6 



4 



2 



2 



4 



4 



4 



4 



3 



S 



Plain, 

 tive- 

 ness. 



"19" 

 4 

 12 

 14 

 12 

 6 

 17 

 4 

 

 5 

 5 

 2 

 4 

 1 

 5 

 3 

 

 2 

 1 

 2 

 2 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Com- 

 pass. 



19 



18 



10 



10 



14 



12 



8 



10 



18 



4 



5 



10 



5 



4 



5 



4 



4 



3 



5 



4 



2 



3 



3 



3 



2 



3 



2 



o o 



w 3 



19 

 18 

 8 

 9 

 14 

 13 

 6 

 12 

 14 

 5 

 5 

 4 

 3 

 5 

 5 

 4 

 5 

 3 

 3 

 2 

 2 

 3 

 3 

 3 

 2 

 2 

 2 



• Mr. Barrington has inserted the chaffinch, hedgc-warbler, and reed- 

 sparrow, in his table ; which (according to his definition of a bird's sorg) 

 ought not to have been admitted : indeed, the notes of the reed-sparrow 

 Vol. 66. No. 327. J?//j/ 1825. D a^e 



