BIRDS. yU 



who unite 16 run down merit which they cannot 

 imitate. Dr. Mitchill's honours of tliis kind uro 

 as numerous as the documents of his scientilit; 

 merit, and Dr. Flosack has been assailed by the 

 low buffoonery of literary punchinellos and shal • 

 lovv-pated coxcombs. When in company with 

 the savansof my native country, the fame of Rush, 

 Mitchill, Hosack, Bigelow, Belknap, Barton, 

 Wistar and Walsh, were familiar to me — but I 

 never heard of the names ofVerplanck and Pau]d= 

 ing, of Searson, of Duer, of MinshuU, or of Dr. 

 Henry, until I landed on the American shores. 



The common names of European birds are 

 applied without discrimination to American ones, 

 and this has created endless confusion. It is vain 

 that 1 look for our quail, ourpatridge, our wood- 

 cock, our pigeon, our swallow, our robin, our 

 goldfinch, &,c. Tiiere is nothing of the kind to 

 be seen. 1 am pointed to birds of those names, 

 but here the resemblance ceases. The English 

 snipe Is the same in Europe and America, and 

 probably many aquatic birds, but that snipe is 

 the only one in which I have ascertained a com- 

 plete sameness. 



W^hen on the cawal in the night I was serenaded 

 by some unknown nocturnal bird. It had four 

 distinct notes — its song was protracted and as 

 melodious and sNveet as the nightingale ; but it 



