662 APPENDIX. 



probably derived from a mufical inftrument, for- 

 merly ufed in England, called a recorder *. 



This attempt in the neftling to fing, may be 

 compared to the imperfect endeavour in a child to 

 babble. I have known inftances of birds beginning 

 to record when they were not a month old. 



This firft elTay does not feem to have the lead 

 rudiments of the future fong; but as the bird 

 grows older and ftronger, one may begin to per- 

 ceive what the neftling is aiming at. 



Whilft the fcholar is thus endeavouring to form 

 his fong, when he is once fure of a paflfage, he 

 commonly raifes his tone, which he drops again 

 when he is not equal to what he is attempting ; juft 

 as a finger raifes his voice, when he not only recol- 

 lects certain parts of a tune with precifion, but 

 knows that he can execute them. 



What the neftling is not thus thoroughly mafter 

 of, he hurries over, lowering his tone, as if he did 

 not wifli to be heard, and could not yet fatisfy 

 himfelf. 



I have never happened to meet with a pafTage 

 in any writer, which feems to relate to this ftage of 



* It feems to have been a fpecies of flute, and was 

 probably ufed to teach young birds to pipe tunes. 



Lord Bacon defcribes this inftrument to have been ftrait, 

 to have had a lefTer and greater bore, both above and below, 

 to have required very little breath from the blower, and to 

 have had what he calls a fipple, or {topper. See his fecond 

 Century of Experiments. 



fingino; 



