6C H APPENDIX. 



exclude the call of a cuckov/, or clucking of a hen *, 

 as they confid of only two notes •, whilft the fhort 

 burfts of finging birds, contending with each o- 

 ther (called jerks by the bird-catchers) are equal- 

 ly diftinguifhed from what I term fotig, by their 

 not continuing for four feconds. 



As the notes of a cuckow and hen, therefore, 

 though they exceed what I have defined the call of 

 a bird to be, do not amount to its fong^ I will, 

 for this rcafon, take the liberty of terming fuch a 

 fucceflion of two notes as we hear in thefe birds, 

 the varied call 



Having thus fettled the meaning of certain 

 words, which 1 mall be obliged to make ufe of, I 

 mall now proceed to (late fome general principles 

 with regard to the finging of birds, which feem to 

 relult from the experiments I have been making 

 for feveral years, and under a great variety of cir- 

 cumttances. 



Notes in birds are no more innate, than lan- 

 guage is in man, and depend entirely upon the 

 matter under which they are bred, as far as their 

 oro-ans will enable them to imitate the founds which 

 they have frequent opportunities of hearing. 



Mod of the experiments I have made on this 



fwhjetft have been tried with cock, linnets, which 



xe fledged and nearly able to leave their neft, on 



f The common hen, when me lays, repeats the fame 

 note very often, and concludes with the fixth above, vvhicL 

 fhc holds for a longer time. 



account 



