448 



PHILOSOPHICAL TBANSACTIONS. 



[anno 1773. 



of birds, suppose that those of every species sing exactly the same notes and 

 passages; which is by no means true, though it is admitted that there is a general 

 resemblance. Thus the London bird catchers prefer the song of the Kentish 

 goldfinches, but Essex chaffinches; and when they sell the bird to those who 

 can thus distinguish, inform the buyer that it has such a note, which is very well 

 understood between them. Some of the nightingale fanciers also prefer a Surry 

 bird to those of Middlesex. These differences in the song of birds of the same 

 species cannot perhaps be compared to any thing more apposite, than the varie- 

 ties of the provincial dialects. The nightingale seems to have been fixed on, 

 almost universally, as the most capital of singing birds, which superiority it 

 certainly may boldly challenge: one reason however of this bird's being more 

 attended to than others is, that it sings in the night. 



In the first place, its tone is infinitely more mellow than that of any other bird, 

 though, at the same time, by a proper exertion of its musical powers, it can be 

 excessively brilliant. When this bird sang its song round, in its whole compass, 

 Mr. B. has observed l6 different beginnings and closes, at the same time that 

 the intermediate notes were commonly varied in their succession with such 

 judgment, as to produce a most pleasing variety. The bird which approaches 

 nearest to the excellence of the nightingale, in this respect, is the skylark; but 

 then the tone is infinitely inferior in point of mellowness: most other singing 

 birds have not above 4 or 5 changes. The next point of superiority in a 

 nightingale is its continuance of song, without a pause, which Mr. B. has 

 observed sometimes not to be less than 20 seconds. Whenever respiration however 

 became necessary, it was taken with as much judgment as by an opera singer. The 

 skylark again, in this particular, is only second to the nightingale. Mr. B. here 

 inserts a table, by which the comparative merit of the British singing birds may 

 be examined, in which the number 20 denotes the point of absolute perfection. 



Nightingale 



Skylark 



Woodlark 



Titlark 



Linnet 



Goldfinch 



Chaffinch 



Greenfinch 



Hedge-sparrow 



Aberdavine (or siskin) 



Redpoll 



Thrush 



Blackbird 



Robin 



Wren 



Reed-sparrow 



Blackcap, or the Norfolk mock nightingale 



Execution. 



19 

 18 



8 

 12 

 18 

 12 



8 



6 



4 



4 



4 



4 



2 

 12 



4 



2 



14 



