HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



71 



the Mexicans to exprefs the wonderful variety of its 

 notes {a It is impoffible to give any idea of the fweet- 

 ncfs and mellowncfs of its fong, of the harmony and va- 

 riety of its tones, or of the facility with which it learns to 

 imitate whatever it hears. It counterfeits naturally, not 

 only the notes of other birds, but even the different noifes 

 of quadrupeds. It is of the fize of a common thrufli. Its 

 body is white upon the under-fide, and grey above ; 

 withfome white feathers, efpecially about the head and 

 tail. It eats any thing, but delights chiefly in flies, which 

 it will pick from one's finger with figns of pleafure. 

 The Centzontli is to be found every where in great num- 

 bers ; yet they are fo much efl:eemed, that I have feen 

 five-and-twenty crowns paid for one. Attempts have 

 often been made to bring it to Europe, but I do not 

 know if they ever fucceeded : and I am perfuaded that, 

 although it could be brought to Europe alive, yet it could 

 not be, without injuring its voice and other qualifications, 

 by a change of climate and the hardfliips of a voyage. 



The birds called Cardinals, are not lefs delightful to 

 the ear, from the fweetnefs of their fong, than to the 

 fight, by the beauty of their fcarlet plumage, and crefl. 

 The Mexican Calandra fings very fweetly alfo, and its 

 fong refembles that of the nightingale. Its feathers arc 

 varied with white, yellow, and grey. It weaves its nefl: 

 in a wonderful manner, with hairs pafl:ed together with 

 fome kind of vifcid fubftance, and fufpending like a little 

 bag, from the bough of a tree. The Tigrillo^ or little 



Tiger, 



(</) Centzontlatottey (for that is the real name, and Centzontli is but an abbrevi- 

 ation) means the many-voiced. The Mexicans ufe the word Centzontli (four 

 hundred) as the Latins did mille fexeenti^ to exprefs an indefinite and innumer- 

 able multitude. The Greek name of Polyglotta^ which fome modern Ornitho- 

 logifts apply to it, correfponds to the Mexican name* See further what we fay 

 of CentaontJif in OUT DilTertations* 



