318 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



corner of the shop, we could not imagine whence the 

 words proceeded, and were led to fancy that it might 

 be some idiot boy repeating, as is common in such 

 cases, his favourite phrase ; but no sooner did we 

 learn the truth, than the correctness of the execution 

 became a matter of comparison and of wonder *. 



But whatever may be the cause of the pleasure 

 we take in hearing such imitations by birds, both of 

 the sounds of one another and of animals of a diffe- 

 rent order, they are in many cases possessed of 

 considerable interest. Except, however, in instances 

 similar to those mentioned in a former chapter, we 

 are very much disposed to doubt the current opinion 

 respecting the mocking or mimicry of wild-birds. 

 In Kent, Norfolk, and some other parts of England, 

 the black cap and the fauvette (Philomela hortensis) 

 are both called the mock nightingale, under the 

 notion, probably, of their imitating its song ; but 

 no person who is well acquainted with the nightin- 

 gale's song could for a moment suppose the notes 

 of either of these two birds to be an imitation of it, 

 though they are both delightful songsters, and one 

 of each species, at the time we write this, is trying 

 to excel the other, in the garden opposite to our 

 study. The black-cap indeed, and the fauvette, 

 sing liker to each other than to the nightingale, 

 and have one or two notes in common, though we 

 cannot see any reason to conclude that these notes 

 were reciprocally borrowed ; any more than the com- 

 mon notes which may be observed in the several 

 songs of the fauvette, the white-throat, and the 

 babillard (Curruca garrula, BRISSON). 



Another native bird, the sedge-bird (Riptecola 

 salicaria), is represented by most of our naturalists 

 as a genuine mock-bird. " The artificial notes,'' it 

 has been remarked, " which wild birds acquire by 

 imitation, are seldom altogether perfect, and may, in 

 *J.R. 



