[ 2 72 ] 
They are alfo eafily impofed upon by that mod 
imperfect of all infcruments, a bird-call , which they 
often miftake for'the notes of their own fpecies. 
I have before obferved, that perhaps no bird may 
he faid to fing which is larger than a blackbird, 
though many of them are taught to fpeak : the 
.fmaller birds, however, have this power of imitation ; 
though perhaps the larger ones have not organs 
which may enable them, on the other hand, to 
ling. 
We have the following inflances of birds being 
taught to fpeak, in the time of the Greeks and Ro- 
mans, upon which we never try the fame experi- 
ment. Mofchus addreffes nightingales and fwallows 
which were thus inftrudled : 
A $ovi$eg, sroLVui t£ ■/ikibovig, ug ejep7rev, 
Ag XaXeiv £^<Ja<rjce. 
Mofchi Idyl. iii. 
Pliny mentions both a cock, thrufh, and night- 
ingales, which articulated * : 
“ Habebant & Caefares juvenes turdum -f*, item 
“ lufcinias Grsco atque Latino fermone dociles, prae- 
<c terea meditantes in diem, & aflidue nova lo- 
“ quentes longiore etiam contextu.” 
Statius alfo takes notice of fome birds fpeaking, 
which we never attempt to teach in this manner: 
* Lib. x. c. 21 Sc 42. 
f Ibid. The other turdus belonged to the Emprefs Agrip- 
pina. 
2 “ Hue 
