ON THE SINGING OF BIRDS. 
The next point of superiority in a nightingale 
is its continuance of song, without a pause, 
which I have observed sometimes not to be less 
than twenty 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. * 
- * J shall here insert a table, by which the comparative merit 
of the British singing birds may be examined, the idea of which 
I have borrowed from Mons. de Piles, in his Cours de Peinture 
par Principes. 1 shall not be surprized, however, if, as he sug- 
gests, many may disagree with me about particular birds, as he 
supposes they will do with him, concerning the merits of painters. 
As I have five columns instead of the four which J. de Piles 
uses, I make 20 the point of absolute perfection, instead of 16, 
which is his standard. 

Mellow-|Spright-|Plaintive| Com- | Execu- 
ness of ly notes. notes. | pass. tion, 




Nightingale 
- = - =} 19 14 19 19 19 
Skylark - = = 2 e 4 19 4, 18 18 
Woodlark - - - -| 18 A, 17 12 8 
mutans sis et a oeie EDO 12 12 12 12 
LOR Tee OS ec MAIC} 16 12 16 18 
Goldfinch - - - - 4 19 4 12 12 
Chaffinch - - - - 4 12 4 8 8 
Greenfinch - - - -~| 4 4 4 4 6 
Hedge-sparrow - - -| 6 0 6 4 4 
Aberdavine (or Siskin) 2 4 0 4 4 
Redpoll =. 4.555 sii- } 0 4 0 4 4 
PTE] eee 4, A 4 4, 4 
deka) b= fa) oe 4 4 0 2 2 
Robin 2) 2/2) 6 POG 1S: Heyes te 12 
Wren awa eter (aiii~ 0 12 0 4 4 
Reed-sparrow - - - 0 4 0 2 2 
Black-cap, or the Norfolk 
' Mock nightingalet 14 12 12 14 14 
+ Brit, Zool.i, p. 476, 
$67 
