MOCKING BIRD. 
95 
to ^hich, as a faithful biographer, I am anxious 
the^'^*'-*^'" ^ slmll, therefore, present the reader with 
0 Hi,.®P'nion of a distinguished English naturalist, and 
Ba *'■'** on this subject, the Honourable Haines 
ti(jJj'^’'gton, who, at the time he made the communica- 
it vice-president of the Royal Society, to which 
^®s addressed.* 
>< Way not be impro])er here,” says this gentleman, 
'’Sr ®''’'®*'ler whether the nightingale may not have a 
^ird^ ^'Wwidable competitor in the American mocking 
ij, though almost all travellers agree, that the concert 
. ae European woods is superior to that of the other 
of the globe.” “ I have happened, however, to 
.''"•the 
American mocking bird, in great perfection, at 
Thf***!*^' Vogels and Scotts, in Love Lane, Eastcheap. 
Bn rl ** believed to be still living, and hath been in 
he ^ .o<f these six years. During the space of a minute, 
a^.‘"'Bated the woodlark, chaffinch, blackbird, thrush, 
j ^ sparrow ; I wa-s told also that he would hark like 
iinit^ • that the bird seems to have no choice in his 
hij, ?tions, though his pipe comes nearest to our night- 
to tl * ^ have yet met with. With regard 
®ta'l* "”SBial notes, however, of this bird, we are still 
this can only be known by those who are 
®«n p acquainted with the song of the other Araeri- 
'*0n Kahn indeed informs us, that the natural 
Wn excellent ;j- but this traveller seems not to have 
''’hat enough in America to have distinguished 
oft„ "’®re the genuine notes : with us, mimics do not 
h(ny" ®icceed but in imitiitions. I have little doubt, 
But that this bird would he fully equal to the 
•'•Oiu ?i the nightingale in its whole compass ; but then, 
Soj.(. attention which the mocker pays to any other 
ahva**' '^'sagreeablc noise, these capital notes would be 
.r. y® debased by a bad mixture.” 
's h. 
thii 
s extract I shall make a few remarks. If, as 
conceded, the mocking bird be fuUy equal to 
^^-ilosophical Transactions^ vol. Ixii, part ii, p). 284. 
' ■' ravels, vol. i, p. 219. 
3 
