322 Appendix. 



ii. 



"NORTHAM, DEVON, ijth January 1891. 



" DEAR SIR, In reply to yours just received, you are 

 heartily welcome to use my letter of the 8th December in 

 the way you propose, and I shall have great pleasure in 

 receiving a copy of your intended paper. 



"Your letter recalled the fact that the observations were 

 wider than I stated in my letter. I first noticed these 

 concerts in Sussex, and, mentioning the fact to my mother, 

 I found that she had observed the circumstance many 

 times, and for some years. The only other person I have 

 ever known who had observed them was a totally illiterate 

 but remarkably intelligent woman of great age, who had 

 never been out of Sussex. I have searched " nightingale 

 literature " in vain for any allusion to these night concerts. 



"It is my conviction that the nightingale produces an 

 impression on the birds somewhat analogous to that pro- 

 duced on the mind of man rather than that referred to 

 in the legend you mention. As you are doubtless aware, 

 individuals among many of the songsters learn the songs of 

 other birds. So far as my observation goes, the nightingale's 

 song is the most frequently imitated. 



" A blackbird sang outside my bedroom window last 

 summer, beginning about two hours after the nightingale 

 ceased. He made many attempts to imitate the night- 

 ingale's song, but for some time the success was very small, 

 though finally it was difficult to distinguish the imitation 

 from the original. His observation must have been very 

 close, as he only perfected the imitation some six weeks 

 to two months after the nightingales had left the neigh- 

 bourhood. For a considerable time after he continued to 

 sing, interrupting his own song at intervals to take up the 

 nightingale's. I am, dear sir, yours very sincerely, 



"T. MANN JONES." 



