Mr. Ray to Dr. Liflen 137 



As for the Tra&ate concerning Singing-Birds in 

 the Epitome of the Art of Husbandry, I do not find 

 what is there delivered fo manifeftly purloin'd from 

 any one Author, altho' in Aldrovand and Otina I find 

 the Subftance of moft he hath 5 only that about the 

 Manner of Breeding Canary-Birds is either his own* 

 or borrowed of fome Author unknown to me. Much 

 alfo he hath about the Woodlark, which is either of 

 his own Obfervation, or as the other taken out of 

 fome modern Writer, it hath not been my Hap to 

 fee.- This Author I believe hath good Skill in the 

 feeding and ordering of Singing-Birds : Yet he makes 

 a fifth Sort of jThroftle, which he calls a Heath- 

 tfhroflle, which I never fawj nor heard of, nor any 

 Author befides that I know of mentions. I pray read 

 the Hiftory of it in him, Page 92.. and tell me whe- 

 ther any fuch Bird be known to you. Thefe Birds, 

 he faith, in fome Countries are called Meviffes. I am 

 fure his fourth [Wood-Song-Throftle] is fo called 

 in Ejfex, and I Believe elfewhere. What he Writes 

 concerning a Hole left in the bottom of the Neft$ 

 I remember not to have obferved in fuch Nefts of 

 this Bird as I have found. 



I was fomewhat offended at his Manner of writing 

 concerning the Solitary Sparrow, as if it were a Bird 

 breeding with us in England, advifing which Bird to 

 chufe out of the Neft to bring up, &c. All which 

 Hiftory makes me fufpeft he tranferibed what he hath 

 out of fome Writer, either Dutch, French, or Italian, 

 that I have never feen, both concerning this and o* 

 ther Singing-Birds: For the Solitary Sparrow is a 

 Bird that was never feen, fcarce heard of, in .England ^ 

 and but rare in Italy. If he were fo well acquainted 

 with them, I wifti he had informed us where they 

 breed. But enough of Cenfute. In the Hiftory of 

 the Fero IJlands I find no more Species of Birds than 

 what I have already inferted in the Ornithology^ part- 

 ly of our own Obfervation, and partly out of Clufius i 



T who 



