MOCKING-BIRD. 
101 
guished English naturalist, and curious observer, on this subject, 
the Hon. Daines Barrington, who at the time he made the com- 
munication was vice president of the Royal Society, to which 
they were addressed. * 
“ It may not be improper, here,” says this gentleman, “ to 
“ consider whether the Nightingale may not have a very formida- 
“ ble competitor in the American Mocking-bird; though almost 
“ all travellers agree, that the concert in the European woods 
“ is superior to that of the other parts of the globe. I have hap- 
“ pened, however, to hear the American Mocking-bird, in great 
“ perfection, at Messrs. Vogels and Scotts, in Love-lane, East- 
cheap. This bird is believed to be still living, and hath been 
‘‘ in England these six years. During the space of a minute he 
“ imitated the Wood-lark, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Thrush, and 
“ Sparrow; I was told also that he would bark like a dog; so that 
“ the bird seems to have no choice in his imitations, though his 
“ pipe comes nearest to our Nightingale of any bird I have yet 
“ met with. With regard to the original notes, however, of this 
‘‘ bird, we are still at a loss, as this can only be known by those 
“ who are accurately acquainted with the song of the other Ame- 
rican birds. Kalm indeed informs us, that the natural song is 
“ excellent;! but this traveller seems notto have been long enough 
“ in America to have distinguished what were the genuine notes; 
“ with us mimics do not often succeed but in imitations. I have 
‘‘ little doubt, however, but that this bird would be fully equal 
“ to the song of the Nightingale in its whole compass; but then 
“ from the attention which the Mocker pays to any other sort 
“ of disagreeable noise, these capital notes would be always de- 
“ based by a bad mixture.” 
On this extract I shall make a few remarks. If, as is here con- 
ceded, the Mocking-bird be fully equal to the song of the Night- 
ingale; and, as I can with confidence add, not only to that but to 
the song of almost every other bird; besides being capable of ex- 
actly imitating various other sounds and voices of animals, his 
vocal powers are unquestionably superior to those of the Night- 
* Phil. Trans, vol. ixii, part ii, p. 284. f Travels, vol. i, p. 219. 
