I rather fufpect alfo, that thofe parrots, magpies, &c. which either do not speak at all, or very little, are hens of thofe fpecies. I have educated neftling linnets under the three best finging larks, the skylark, woodlark, and titlark, every one of which, inftead of the linnet's fong, adhered entirely to that of their respective inftructors. When the note of the titlark-linnett was thoroughly fixed, I hung the bird in a room with two common linnets, for a quarter of a year, which were full in fong; the titlark-linnet, however, did not borrow any paffages from the linnet's fong, but adhered fted faftly to that of the titlark. I had fome curiosity to find out whether an European nettling would equally learn the note of an African bird: I therefore educated a young linnet under vengolina I, which imitated its AfriNOTE. The white reaches almoft to the shaft of the quill feathers, and in the hen does not exceed more than half. +I thus call a bird which fings notes he would not have learned in a wild flate; thus by a skylark-linnet, I mean a linnet with a fkylark fong; a nightingale-robin, a robin with the nightingale fong, &c. This bird feems not to have been defcribed by any of the ornithologifts; it is of the finch tribe, and about the can master so exactly, without any mixture of the linnet fong, that it was impoffible to diftinguifh the one from the other. This vengolina- linnet was abfolutely perfect, without ever uttering a single note by which it could have been known to be a linnet. In fome of my other experiments, however, the nestling linnet retained the call of its own species, or what the bird-catchers term the lin net's chuckle, from fome resemblance to that word when pronounced. I have before stated, that all my neftling linnets were three weeks old, when taken from the neft; and by that time they frequently learn their own call from the parent birds, which I have mentioned to confift of only a fingle note. To be certain, therefore, that a neftling will not have even the call of its fpecies, it fhould be taken from the neft when only a day or two old; because, though neftlings cannot fee till the feventh day, yet they can hear from the inftant they are hatched; and probably, from that circumftance, attend to founds more than they do afterwards, especially as the call of the parents announces the arrival of their food, I must own, that I am not equal myfelf, nor can I procure any perfon to take the trouble of breeding up a bird of this age, as the odds against its being reared are almoft infinite. The warmth indeed of incubation may be, in fome measure, fupplied by cotton and fires; but thefe delicate animals require, in this state, being fed almoft perpetually, whilft the nourishment they receive fhould not only be prepared with great attention, but in a very fmall portions at a time. Though I must admit, therefore, that I never reared myself a bird of so tender an age, yet I have happened to fee both a linnet and a goldfinch which were taken from their nefts when only two or three days old. The first of these belonged to Mr. Matthews, an apothecary at KenfingNOTÉ. fame fize with our aberdavine (or fiskin). The colours are grey and white, and. the cock hath a bright yellow fpot up. on the rump. It is a very familiar bird, and fings better than any of those which are not European, except the American. mocking bird. Ggg 2 ton, ton, which, from a want of other founds to imitate, almost articulated the words pretty boy, as well as fome other fhort fentences: I heard the bird myself repeat the words pretty boy; and Mr. Matthews affured me, that he had neither the note or call of any bird whatfoever. This talking linnet died laft year, and many people went from London to hear him speak. The goldfinch I have before mentioned, was reared in the town of Knighton in Radnor hire, which I happened to hear as I walking by the house where it was kept. I thought indeed that a wren was finging; and I went into the house to enquire after it, as that little bird feldom Hives long in a cage. The people of the house, however, told me, that they had no bird but a goldfinch, which they conceived to fing its own natural note, as they called it; upon which I fiaid a confiderable time in the room, whilft its notes were merely those of a wren, without the leaft mixture of a goldfinch. On further inquiries, I found that the bird had been taken from the neft when only two or three days old; that it was hung in a window which was oppofite to a fmall garden, whence the neftling had undoubtedly acquired the notes of the wren, without having had any opportunity of learning even the call of the goldfinch. These facts which I have ftated feem to prove very decifively, that birds have not any innate ideas of the notes which are fuppofed to be peculiar to each species. But it will poffibly be afked, why in a wild ftate they adhere fo fteadily to the fame fong, informuch that it is well known, before the bird is heard, what notes you are expect from him. This, however, arifes entirely from the neftling's attending only to the inftruction of the parent bird, whilft it difregards the, notes of all others, which may perhaps be finging round him. Young Canary-birds are frequently reared in a room where there are many other forts; and yet I have been informed that they only learn the fong of the parent cock. Every one knows, that the common houfe-fparrow, when in a wild state, never does any thing but chirp: this, how ever, does not arife from want of powers in this bird to imitate others, but because he only attends to the parental note. But, to prove this decifively, I took a common iparrow from the neft, when it was fledged, and educated him under a linnet: the bird, however, by accident heard a goldfinch alfo; and his fong, was, therefore a mixture of the linnet and goldfinch. I have tried feveral experiments, in order to obferve from what circumstances birds fix upon any particular note when taken from the parents; but cannot fettle this with any fort of precifion, any more than at what period of their recording they determine upon the song to which they will adhere. I educated a young robin under a very fine nightingale; which, however, began already to be out of fong, and was perfectly mute in lefs than a fortnight. This robin afterwards fung three parts in four nightingale; and the reft of his fong was what the bird-catchers call rubbish, or no particular note whatfo ever. I hung this robin nearer to the nightingale than to any other bird; from which first experiment I conceived, that the fcholar would imitate the master which was at the least distance from him. From feveral other experiments, however, which I have fince tried, I find it to be very uncertain what notes the neftling will most attend to,, and often their fong is a mixture; as in the inftance which I before stated of the sparrow. I must own alfo, that I conceived, from the experiment of educating the robin under the nightingale, that the fcholar would fix upon the note which it first heard when taken from the neft; I imagined likewife, that, if the nightingale had been fully in fong, the inftruction for a fortnight would have been fufficient. I have, however, fince tried the following experiment, which convince me, fo much depends upon circumftances, and perhaps caprice in the fcholar, that no general inference, or rule, can be laid down with regard to either of these suppofitions. I educated a neftling robin under a wood-lark-linnet, which was in full fone fong, and hung very near to him for a month together; after which, the robin was removed to another house, where he could only hear a skylark-linnet, The confequence was, that the nestling did not fing a note of woodlark (though I afterwards hung him again just above the wood-lark-linnet), but adhered entirely to the fong of the skylark-linnet. Having thus ftated the refult of feveral experiments, which were chiefly intended to determine, whether birds had any innate ideas of the notes, or fong, which is fuppofed to be peculiar to each fpecies, I fhall now make fome general obfervations on their finging; though perhaps the subject may appear to many a very minute one. Every poet, indeed, fpeaks with rap tures of the harmony of the groves; yet those even, who have good mufical ears, feem to pay little attention to it, but as a pleafing noise. I am also convinced (though it may feem rather paradoxical), that the inhabitants of London diftinguish more accurately, and know more on this head, than thofe of all the other parts of the ifland taken together. This feems to arife from two causes. The firft is, that we have not more mufical ideas which are innate, than we have of language; and therefore thofe even, who have the happiness to have organs which are capable of receiving a gratification from this fixth fenfe (as it hath been called by fome), require, how ever, the best instruction. The orchestra of the opera, which is confined to the metropolis, hath diffufed a good file of playing over the other bands of the capital, which is, by degrees, communicated to the fidler and ballad-finger in the streets, the organs in every church, as well as thofe of the Savoyards, contribute likewife to this improvement of mufical faculties in the Londoners. If the finging of the ploughman in the country is therefore compared with that of the London blackguard, the fuperiority is infinitely on the fide of the latter; and the fame may be obferved in comparing the voice of a country girl and a London house-maid, as it is very uncommon to hear the former fing tolerably in tune. I do not mean by this, to affert that the inhabitants of the country are not horn with as good mufical organs; but only, that they have not the fame opportunities of learning from others, who play in tune themfelves. The other reafon for the inhabitants of London judging better in relation to the fong of birds, arifes from their hearing each bird fing diftinctly, either in their own or their neighbours fhops; as alfo from a bird continuing much longer in fong whilft in a cage, than when at liberty; the caufe of which I fhall endeavour hereafter to explain. Thofe who live in the country on the other hand, do not hear birds fing in their woods for above two months in the year, when the confufion of notes prevents their attending to the fong of any particular bird; nor does he continue long enough in a place for the hearer to recollect his notes with accuracy.! Befides this, birds in the fpring fing very loud, indeed; but they only give fhort jerks, and fcarcely ever the whole compass of their fong. For thefe reafons, I never happened to meet with any perfon, who had not refided in London, whofe judgment or opinion on this fubject I could the leaft rely upon; and a fronger proof of this cannot be given than that most people, who keep Canary-birds, do not know that they fing chiefly either the titlark, or nightingale notes. NOTE. *I once faw two of thefe birds which came from the Canary islands, neither of which had any fong at all; and I have been informed, that a fhip brought a great many of them, not long fince, which fung as little. Most of thefe Canary-birds, which are imported from Tyrol, have been educated by parents, the progenitor of which was inftructed by a nightingale; our English Canary-birds have commonly more of the titlark note. The traffick in these birds makes a fmall article of commerce, as four Tyroleze generally bring over to England fixteen hundred every year; and though they carry them on their backs one thoufand miles, as well as pay 201, duty for fuch a number, yet upon the whole it anfwers to fell thefe birds at 5s. a piece. The chief place of breeding Canarybirds is Infpruck and its environs, from whence they are fent to Constantinople, as well as every other part of Europe. Nothin Nothing, however, can be more marked than the note of a nightingale called its jug, which most of the Canary-birds brought from Tyrol commonly have, as well as feveral nightingale Arokes, or particular paffages in the fong of that bird. I mention this fuperior knowledge in the inhabitants of the capital, because I am convinced, that, if others are confulted in relation to the finging of birds, they will only mislead, inftead of giving any material or useful information t. Birds in a wild state do not commonly fing above ten weeks in the year; which is then alfo confined to the cocks of a few species; I conceive, that this laft circumftance arifes from the fuperior ftrength of the mufcles of the larynx. I procured a cock nightingale, a cock and hen blackbird, a cock and hen rook, a cock linnet, also a cock and hen chaffinch, which that very eminent anatomift, Mr. Hunter, F. R.S. was fo obliging as to diffect for me, and begged, that he would particularly attend to the ftate of the organs in the different birds which might be fuppofed to contribute to finging. Mr. Hunter found the muscles of the larynx to be ftronger in the nightingale than in any other bird of the fame fize; and in all thofe inftances (where he diffected both cock and hen) that the fame mufcles were ftronger in the cock. I fent the cock and. hen rook, in order to see whether there would be the difference in the cock and hen of a species which did not fing at all. Mr. Hunter, however, told me, that he had not attended fo much to their comparative organs of voice, as in the other kinds; but that, to the beft of his recollection, there was no difference at all. Strength, however, in these muscles feems not to be the only requifite; the birds must have alfo great plenty of food, which feems to be proved fufficiently by birds in a cage finging the greatest part of the year, when the wild ones do not NOTE. +As it will not answer to catch birds with clap-nets any where but in the neighbourhood of London, most of the birds which may be heard in a country town are neftlings, and confequently cannot fing the fuppofed natural fong in any perfection. (as I obferved before) continue in song above ten weeks. The food of finging birds confifts of plants, infects, or feeds; and of the twe firft of these there is infinitely the greateft profufion in the fpring. As for feeds, which are to be met with only in the autumn, I think they cannot well find any great quantities of them in a country fo cultivated as England is; for the feeds in meadows are deftroyed by mowing; in paftures, by the bite of the cattle; and in arable, by the plough, when most of them are buried too deep for the bird to reach them *. I know well that the finging of the cock in the fpring is attributed by manyt to the motive only of pleafing its mate during incubation. Thofe, however, who fuppofe this, fhould recollect, that much the greater part of birds do not fing at all: why fhould their mates, therefore, be deprived of this folace and amusement? The bird in a cage, which, perhaps, fings nine or ten months in a year, cannot do fo from this inducement; and, on the contrary, it arifes chiefly from contending with another bird, or indeed against almoft any fort of continued noise. Superiority in fong gives to birds a most amazing afcendency over each other; as is well known to the birdcatchers by the fascinating power of call-birds, which they contrive fhould moult prematurely for this purpose. But to thew decifively that the finging of a bird in the fpring does not arife from any attention to its mate, a very experienced catcher of nightingales hath informed me, that some these birds have jerked the inftant they were caught. He hath alfo brought to me a nightingale, which had been but a few hours in a cage, and which burst forth in a roar of fong. At the fame time this bird is fo fulky on its firft confinement, that he must be crammed for feven or eight days, as he will fotherwife not feed himself: it is alfo neceffary to tie his wings, to pre N O TE. *The plough, indeed, may turn up fome few feeds, which may ftill be in an eatable state. + See, amongst others, M. de Buffon, in his lately-published Ornithology. vent his killing himself against the top or fides of the cage. I believe there is no inftance of any bird's finging which exceeds our blackbird in fize; and poffibly this may arise from the difficulity of its concealing itfelf, if it called the attention of its enemies, not only by bulk, but by the proportionable loudnefs of its notes 1. I should rather conceive, it is for the fame reason that no hen-bird fings, because this talent would be ftill more dangerous during incubation; which may poffibly alfo account for the inferiority in point of plumage. Copy of a Will in Verfe. Remarkable inftance of a will A written in verfe, which was ea tered in the Commons in 1737. NOTE. For the fame reason, most large birds are wilder than the smaller ones. To fome one or other, I do therefore enjoin, JOHN HEDGES." The teftator died in 1737. . This extraordinary will paffed a very confiderable perfonal eftate; and may be seen, verbatim as above, in the regifter, at the Prerogative office; where it appears, that administration with the will annexed was granted to Paul Whichcote, Efq; and another person. POETRY. Ode for his Majefty's Birth-Day, June 4, 1774. By William Whitehead, Efq; Poet-Laureat, HA I, ARK!-or does the Mufe's ear Form the founds she longs to hear ?Hark! from yonder western main O'er the white wave echoing far, Vows of duty fwell the strain, And drown the notes of war, The prodigal again returns, And on his parent's neck reclines; Difcord! ftop that raven voice, Tell it not on Ebro's stream, For foon fhall Reafon, calm and fage, And all be harmony and fmiles; O prophetic be the Muse! And point the path to genuine famo! Like the golden chain of Jove, Clofely may they all unite! -And fee, a gleam of lufter breaks From the fhades of envious night--And hark, 'tis more than Fancy speaks-They bow, they yield, they join the cho ral lay, And hail, with us, our Monarch's natal day. A Prologue |