IMITATION AND MIMICRY. 331 



jay, martin, baltimore, and twenty others, succeed, 

 with such imposing reality, that we look round for the 

 originals, and discover, with astonishment, that the 

 sole performer in this singular concert is the admi- 

 rable bird now before us. During this exhibition of 

 his powers, he spreads his wings, expands his tail, 

 and throws himself around the cage in all the 

 ecstasy of enthusiasm, seeming not only to sing, but 

 to dance, keeping time to the measure of his own 

 music. Both in his native and domesticated state, 

 during the solemn stillness of night, as soon as the 

 moon rises in silent majesty, he begins his delightful 

 solo ; and serenades us the livelong night with a 

 full display of his vocal powers, making the whole 

 neighbourhood ring with his inimitable medley*.'' 



It would be absurd after these well-authenticated 

 facts to deny the imitative powers of this singular 

 bird ; yet it is worthy of remark, that most of the 

 accounts concur in asserting its original unborrowed 

 notes to be very varied and excellent, and we are 

 thence disposed to infer that most of the alleged 

 imitations are original also, as we think we have 

 already pretty clearly shown those of our own sedge- 

 bird to be, though they too are commonly ascribed 

 to imitation. It is hypothetically supposed indeed, 

 " that during the day, its chief notes consist of the 

 imitations of the songs of its neighbours ; at night 

 its song is more peculiarly its own/' a gratuitous 

 assumption countenanced by no fact nor any example 

 from this or any other species. Our own sedge-bird, 

 which sings all night long like the American mock- 

 ing-bird, is as profuse of the notes alleged to be 

 imitative when he sings at midnight as when he 

 sings at noon ; and there is no perceptible difference 

 in the night songs of the nightingale, the dipper, 

 and other night-singing birds, from their day music ; 



* Amer. Ornith, ii, 19. 



