448 Retrospective Critici^bJl 



until the time of their migration in autumn ; in spring they l-etumfed, or, at 

 any rate, the male, for it sang in the front of my habitation all the first 

 months of summer. I recognised it immediately on its arrival by its imper- 

 fect song, which it had not improved in the least : it had a nest, and reared 

 its young just by ; but whether the female was the same that I set off with 

 it, I could not ascertain, as I had no mark to recognise her by. This, I 

 think, proves that nightingales might be colonised in any situation where 

 there were none before, by turning a pair or two of old ones out in spring, 

 which would, without doubt, breed, if in a favourable situation, and their 

 young would most probably return there the following season. This is 

 certainly far preferable to hatching their eggs under other birds, though I 

 do not know that it would make much difference in their song, as they 

 vy^ould most probably mix with others of theii* own species, in the countries 

 they visit in winter, where I suspect they sing the whole of the time, after 

 they leave this country, as they frequently do in a cage all the winter, if 

 ke|)t in a warm situation, and supplied with food that they are partial to. 

 I had one began singing the first of last December, and continued in full 

 song all the month, as loud and fine as if in the month of May. Another 

 bird tha;t I bred from the nest, Saxicola Rubetra, or whinchat, turned out to ■ 

 be oi^e pf the finest singing birds I ever heard; but it had scarcely anyr 

 tl^li^^'ofit^' natural song, but all acquired, mocking every bird that it heard 

 sirig, and imitating their voices as well as notes. Amongst them it had the 

 aipazingly loud song of the missel thrush, which sang in Sir H. Wilson's 

 p'ark, near the house where I then resided, during the winter and springs 

 liearly all day long (this will be an answer to J. B. on the song of the misseF 

 thrush. The whinchat sang this song so loud and exact, that we could 

 xipt bear it in the room when singing ; it also sang the notes of all the 

 dther birds that were with it in the cages so exactly that they could not be 

 distinguished apart. The . following are the birds it imitated; — the larger/ 

 whitethroat, the willow-wren, redstart, nightingale, and wheatear. I have at 

 present some blackcaps that were bred up from their nest, which, having 

 frequently heard wild ones sing, sing their proper notes ; but, besides 

 this, they sing the notes of many other birds. The redstart they imitate so j 

 exactly that they cannot be distinguished ; also the thrush, which they hear 

 sirig in the gardens : they have part of the song of the nightingale and 

 whitethroat, and also the exact call of the canary bird and siskin (or aber- 

 devine), and will learn the song of any bird in a very short time. I think 

 this will show that the song of birds is not innate, but acquired ; for even in 

 a wild state some birds of the same species have a much greater variety of 

 liotes than others, and are much better songsters; and many birds, parti** 

 cularly the blackcap, will imitate several other bh-ds, even in a wild state* 

 I am, &c. — R. Sweet. Pomona Place, March 29. 1830. , ,, 



The Kingfisher ; in reply to J. R. (Vol. II. p. 457.) — Sii', Very pressing 

 engagements, and a severe and long illness, have prevented my noticing the 

 observations of your correspondent J. R., relative to the habits of the king- 

 fisher. We are certainly much obliged to J. R. for the facts concerning 

 that bird which are there stated ; but why my statements concerning it are 

 to be questioned, because J. R. has found a solitary exception, I am at a 

 loss to comprehend. As to the Ravensbourne itself, I am, I presume, 

 much better acquainted with the banks of that river than J. R., having 

 resided for many years at Ladywell, Lewisham, and been on its banks at 

 every hour of the day, from four o'clock in the morning tUl after sunset ; 

 and from Deptford all the way up to beyond Rushy Green. / have never 

 once seen a kingfisher ; and I did therefore mention in my work {Ornitho- 

 logia) the circumstance of a kingfisher being seen between Bromley and 

 Beckenham : and I do still consider the fact as rare ; as much so as that 

 related by J. R. In regard to my still more extensive acquaintance with 

 the birds of Somersetshh-e, I can say that Inever have seen the kingfisher 



