TURDUS POLYGLOTTUS, 
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the song of the nightingale, and, as I can with confidence 
add, not only to that, but to the song of almost every 
other bird, besides being capable of exactly imitating 
various other sounds and voices of animals, — his vocal 
powers are unquestionably superior to those of the 
nightingale, which possesses its own native notes alone. 
Farther, if we consider, as is asserted by Mr Barrington, 
that <f one reason of the nightingale’s being more 
attended to than others is, that it sings in the night 
and if we 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, 
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what must we think of that bird, who, in the glare of 
day, when a multitude of songsters are straining their 
throats in melody, overpowers all competition, and, by 
the superiority of his voice, expression, and action, not 
only attracts every ear, but frequently strikes dumb his 
mortified rivals ; when the silence of night, as well 
as the bustle of day, bear witness to his melody ; and 
when even in captivity, in a foreign country, he is 
declared, by the best judges in that country, to be fully 
equal to the song of their sweetest bird in its whole 
compass ? The supposed degradation of his song by 
the introduction of extraneous sounds, and unexpected 
imitations, is, in fact, one of the chief excellencies of 
this bird ; as these changes give a perpetual novelty to 
his strain, keep attention constantly awake, and impress 
every hearer with a deeper interest in what is to follow. 
In short, if we believe in the truth of that mathematical 
axiom, that the whole is greater than a part, all that is 
excellent or delightful, amusing or striking, in the music 
of birds, must belong to that admirable songster, whose 
vocal powers ere equal to the whole compass of their 
whole strains. 
The native notes of the mocking bird have a consider- 
able resemblance to those of the brown thrush, but may 
easily be distinguished, by their greater rapidity, sweet- 
ness, energy of expression, and variety. Both, however, 
have, in many parts of the United States, particularly 
