370 
APPENDIX. VI. 
_the concert in the European woods is-superior 
“to that of the other parts of the globe.* 
As birds are now annually imported in great 
numbers from Asia, Africa, and America, I have 
frequently attended to their notes, both singly 
and in concert, which are certainly not tobe 
compared to those of Kurope. 
Thomson, the poet, (whose observations in 
natural history are much to be depended upon) 
makes this superiority in the European birds to 
be a sort of compensation for their great inferi- 
ority in point of gaudy plumage. Our goldfinch, 
however, joins to a very brilliant and pleasing 
song, a most beautiful variety of colours in its 
feathers, + as well as a most elegant shape. 
It must be admitted, that foreign birds, when 
brought to Europe, are often heard to a great 
disadvantage; as many of them, from their 
great tameness, have certainly been brought up 
by hand, the consequence of which I have al- 
ready stated from several experiments. The 
soft-billed birds also cannot be well brought 
over, as the succedaneum for insects (their com- 
* See Rochefort's Hist. des Antilles, T. 1. p. 366.—Ph. Tr. 
Abr. Fol. II. p. 563.—and Catesby. 
+ I cannot but think, that there would be a demand for these 
birds in China, as the inhabitants are very sedentary, and bird 
cages are commonly represented as hanging in theirrooms. I 
have been informed, by a Tyroleze, that his best market for Ca- 
nary bitds was Constantinople. We 
