MOCKING-BIRD. 21 



Were it not to seem invidious in the eyes of foreigners, I might in 

 this place make a comparative stateraent between the powers of the 

 Mocking-bird, and the only bird I believe in the world worthy of being 

 compared with him, the European Nightingale. This, however, I am 

 unable to do from my own observation, having never myself heard the 

 song of the latter ; and even if I had, perhaps something might be laid 

 to the score of partiality, which, as a faithful biographer, I am anxious 

 to avoid. I shall, therefore, present the reader with the opinion of a 

 distinguished English naturalist, and curious observer, on this subject, 

 the Hon. Daines Barrington, who at the time he made the communica- 

 tion was vice president of the Royal Society, to which they were 

 addressed.* 



"It may not be improper, here," says this gentleman, "to consider 

 whether the Nightingale may not have a very formidable competitor in 

 the American Mocking-bird ; though almost all travellers agree, that 

 the concert in the European woods is superior to that of the other parts 

 of the globe. I have happened, however, to hear the American Mock- 

 ing-bird,, in great perfection, at Messrs. Vogels and Scotts, in Love-lane, 

 Eastcheap. This bird is believed to be still living, and hath been in 

 England these six years. During the space of a minute he imitated 

 the Wood-lark, Chaffinch, Blackbird, ThrusE, and Sparrow ; I was told 

 also that he would bark like a dog ; so that the bird seems to have no 

 choice in his imitations, though his pipe comes nearest to our Nightin- 

 gale of any bird I have yet met with. With regard to the original 

 notes, however, of this bird, we are still at a loss, as this can only be 

 known by those who are accurately acquainted with the song of the 

 other American birds. Kalm indeed informs us, that the natural song 

 is excellent ;f but this traveller seems not to have been long enough in 

 America to have distinguished what were the genuine notes : with us 

 mimics do not often succeed but in imitations. I have little doubt, 

 however, but that this bird would be fully equal to the song of the 

 Nightingale in its whole compass ; but then from the attention which 

 the Mocker pays to any other sort of disagreeable noise, these capital 

 notes would be always debased by a bad mixture." 



On this extract I shall make a few remarks. If, as is here conceded, 

 the Mocking-bird be fully equal to the song of the Nightingale ; and, 

 as I can with confidence add, not only to that but to the song of almost 

 every other bird; besides being capable of exactly imitating various 

 other sounds and voices of animals, his vocal powers are unquestionably 

 superior to tl^ose of the Nightingale, which possesses its own "native 



* Phil. Trans, vol. Lxii., part ii., p. 284. 

 t Travels, vol. i., p. 219. 



