172 
Off THE CLASSIPICATIOff OP BIRDS. 
the Deir ^ ® represent them among 
hn,r the long-legged 
thrushes {Crateropodinrf) are the loudest of their tfbe 
and one species, the Dmmcohius nocifermu* of Braril’ 
iLTt “ and ‘discordant babbler; 
that Be have frequently rushed out of the house to 
the sam nengeta, a water-chat of 
the same country, is stated to have a loud and most 
Srto to be a fact in 
r^ard to the genus for we have named a 
arfonnT"' T «>-™mstanoe.+ Similar insUnces 
mLr and many 
others ; setting aside the wild scream of the wood- 
peckers, which are much more discordant than that of 
the jay. I he parrots we have already mentioned 
SriHo T' S types, 
that IS to say, they represent the gallinaceous birds in 
heir own circles; and while they tend to show that 
thov "i- been regulated by fixed laws, 
creatioi 7 ''''Tr the most discordant birds in 
ig tribes are too partially knoivn to admit of any 
general conclusions being at present drawn respecting 
*1^111^1’ f "’f'' "“‘"'■e, detached facts are 
Sri “oT ““ "f 
(147.) The power of imitation, or of mockino- i., 
either natural, or is acquired in a state of c.aptivity ’"We 
have touched ui>on the former because it belong?^ to the 
natural history of a bird; but we have no space to enter 
upon the various acquirements in which taL binir w 
chnt of perseverance, have been instructed. S ve a^ 
species, to whom melody has been denied, and other 
whose natural language is monotonous and discordam 
have been taught to whistle tunes and to pronounce 
human words. The crow family and the starlings, but 
• Zool. IlUis. ii. 79. 
f See Latham’s Synopsis, on the aiithnr 5 f,r tut 
t Zod. Ulus. i. SynallasisBarrdu^priS."'^®^"'^®'”'’'’- 
