96 
TUllDUS POLYOLOTTUS. 
the song of the nightingale, and, as I can with confidents® 
add, not only to that, but to the song of almost eveff 
other bird, besides being capable of exactly imitatin!^ 
various other sounds and voices of animals, — his vo<'** 
powers are umiuestionably superior to those of 
uighting-iile, which possesses its own mitiv'e notes altn"-’' 
Farther, if we consider, as is asserted by Mr Barringto'^’ 
that “ one reason of the nightingale’s being ninf® 
attended to than others is, that it sings in the night 1 
and if wo believe with Shakespeare, that 
The nightingale, if she should sing by day 
When every goose is cackling, would be thought 
No better a musician than a wren, 
what must we think of that bird, who, in the glare ® 
day, when a multitude of songsters are straining tbf' 
throats in melody, overpou ers all competition, and, W 
the superiority of his voice, expression, and action, o?, 
only attracts every ear, hut frequently strikes dumb b'’ 
mortified rivals ; when the silence of night, as n'®*, 
fis the hustle of day, hear witness to his melody; e®. 
when even in captivity, in a foreign country, he 
declared, by the best judges iu that country, to he fiJ*^ 
equal to the song of their sweetest bird in its 
compass? The supposed degradation of his song W. 
the introduction of extraneous sounds, and unexpec*®'! 
imitations, is, in fact, one of the chief excellencies ® ^ 
this bird; as these changes give a perpetual novelty ^ 
his strain, keep attention constantly awake, aud impf®*; 
every hearer with a deeper interest iu what is to foU?'^ 
In short, if we believe iu the truth of that mathemati®^ 
axiom, that the whole is greater than a part, all that J" 
excellent or delightful, amusing or striking, iu the 
ot birds, must belong to that admirohle songster, w'bol 
vocal powers ere equal to the whole compass of th®' 
whole strains. 
The native notes of the mocking bird have a consid®® 
able resemblance to those of the brown thrush, but 11“*^ 
easily be distinguished, by their gi’eater rapidity, s"'®® 
ness, energy of expression, aud variety. Both, howe’’®. ' 
have, in many parts of the United States, particular 
