636 BIRDS. 



These quotations from the best judge of melody, we thought 

 due to the sweetest of our feathered choristers ; and we believe no 

 reader of taste will think them tedious. 



Virgil seems to be the only poet, among the ancients, who hath 

 attended to the circumstance of this bird's singing in the night 

 time. 



Qualis populea mcerens Philomela sub umbra 1 

 Amissos queritur foetus, quos durus arator 

 Observans nido implumles detraxit : at ilia 

 Flet noctem, ramoque sedens miserabile carmen 

 lntegrat, et mcestis late loco questibus implet. 



Georg. IV. 1.511. 



As Philomel in poplar shades, alone, 

 For her lost offspring pours a mother's moan, 

 Which some rough ploughman marking for his prey, 

 From the warm nest, unfledg'd hath dragg'd away ; 

 Percht on a bough, she all night long complains, 

 And fills the grove with sad repeated strains. 



F. Warton. 



Pliny has described the warbling notes of this bird, with an 

 elegance that bespeaks an exquisite sensibility of taste ; notwith- 

 standing that his words have been cited by most other writers on 

 natural history, yet such is the beauty, and in general the truth of 

 his expressions, that they cannot be too much studied by lovers of 

 natural history. We must observe notwithstanding, that a few 

 of his thoughts are more to be admired for their vivacity, than for 

 strict philosophical reasoning: but these few are easily distin. 

 guishable. [Pennant. 



SECTION xv. 



Red Breast* 



Motacilla rubecola. Linn. 



This bird, though so very petulant as to be at constant war with 



its own tribe, yet is remarkably social with mankind ; in the win. 



ter it frequently makes one of the family ; and takes refuge from 



