6S THESPARROWKIND. 



if his fong is vigorous, he beats his wings in cadence ; if his fong be- 

 comes {olQvnny piano, and feemingly loft in filence, he finks gradually 

 down, gently hovers over his tree with imperceptible undulation of his 

 wings, and fettles as if motionlefs while fufpended in the air. 



The French Mock-hird has breaft-fpots in common with the thrufh, 

 and is about the fame fize j inhabits Carolina and Virginia, 



THE MARTIN 



1^ allied to the ouzel kind in form y inhabits the Philippine Iflands j 

 is extremely voracious j like our pies and crows feeks among the 

 hair of horfes, cows, &c. the infe6ts which torment them ; ten or a dozen 

 will fometimes alight on the fame animal ; but fhould it have any part 

 of its jflefh bare by a fore, the martins make free with that alfo, and 

 become a much worfe plague than the vermin of which they rid the 

 animal : will devour fmall rats, and fwallow them j are particularly 

 fond of grafshoppers ; fettle in fuch flocks on a tree as to cover it, fo 

 that fcarce a leaf can be feen ; brought up young among poultry, imitate 

 their cries and motions j are of mixt colours, grey, black, and white. 



OF THE 



NIGHTINGALE, and other soft-billed 



SONG-BIRDS. 



i 



THIS moft famous of the feathered tribe vifits England only in 

 April, and leaves us in Auguft ; is unknown in Scotland, Ireland, 

 and North Wales. They frequent thick hedges and low coppices, 

 and generally keep in the middle of the bufh, fo that they are rarely 

 feen. They begin their fong in the evening, and generally continue ic 

 the whole night ; for weeks together, if undifturbed, fit upon the fame 

 tree. His note is foft, various, and interrupted j he fcldom holds it 

 without a paufe above the time that one can count twenty : this bird's 

 mufic is more pleating becaufe heard when all the reft are filenr» 



Gefner 



