ON THE SINGING OF BIRDS. 365 



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 varieties of 

 provincial dialects. 



The nightingale seems to have been fixed 

 upon, 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. 'I' 



Pipe rattle. Bell pipe. Scroti/, Skeg, Skeg, Skeg, Szvat swat 

 swaty. Whitlow whitlow whitlow^ from some distant affinity to 

 such words. j^.-- i-u^O 



* Mr. Henshaw informs ns, that nightingales in Denmark are 

 not heard till May, and that their notes are not so sweet or various 

 as with us. Dr. Birch's History of the Royal Society, Vol. III. 

 p. I89. Whilst Mr. Fletcher (who was minister from Queen 

 Elizabeth to Russia) says, that the nightingales in that part of 

 the world have a finer note than ours. See Fletcher s Life, in 

 the Biographia Britannica, 



I never could believe what is commonly asserted, that the 

 Czar Peter was at a considerable expence to introduce singing 

 birds near Peterslurgh ; because it appears, by the Fauna Sued' 

 ca, that they have in those latitudes most of the same birds with 

 those of England. 



t The woodlark and reed sparrow sing likewise in the night j 

 and from hence, in the neighborhood of Shrewsbury , the latter 

 hath obtained the name of the willow-nightingale. Nightin- 

 gales, however, and these two other birds, sing also in the day, 

 but are not then distinguished in the general concert. (>'! ^:,'n[ 



