1 72 E VOL UTION OF BIRD-SONG 



call of its species, but sang only the song of the 

 brown wren, which it had heard in the garden in 

 front of the window where it was hung. I have 

 heard a caged linnet warble to perfection the songs 

 of the blackcap and brown wren. This bird was in 

 a railway signal-box, in the midst of tall trees. 

 Rennie stated that " the canary-bird, whose song, 

 in its artificial state in Europe, is a compound of 

 notes acquired from other birds, is able to learn the 

 song of the nightingale, but is not able to execute it 

 with the same power as the nightingale does " {pp. 

 cit. p. 278). Bechstein recorded that the siskin " imi- 

 tates tolerably well the song of other birds, such as 

 those of the tit, chaffinch, and lark" {pp. cit. p. 153). 

 Yarrell observed that individual bullfinches vary in 

 their ability to learn. Even so poor a songster as 

 the hawfinch will imitate when a captive. The 

 Rev. H. A. Macpherson informs me they will pick 

 up any sounds {in lilt.). I hear from Mr. Lulham, 

 a breeder and exhibitor of hybrid finches, that, as 

 a rule, the songs of these birds are extremely poor : 

 " they generally adopt a icw notes from any birds 

 they hear, but, with the exception of goldfinch and 

 canary mules, their song is not very pleasing" {in 

 litt.). Mr. W. A. P. Hughes informs me that "a 

 young bird (finch) reared by hand, and not allowed 



