CHAPTER VII 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SONG 
as soon as the young cocks are in the flight cages. 
They start when they are six weeks old, and, in 
some cases, even earlier. In the elementary stage only 
a gentle twittering is noticeable, but, day by day, it 
becomes louder and stronger. 
The young bird’s first moult does not hinder him 
in this. He practises daily with diligence, and makes 
progress, and, even in these early days, while the birds 
are still in the moult, one can already distinguish plainly 
in some of the more forward birds certain tours in their 
song. 
T HE development of the different song tours begins 
THE INFLUENCE OF THE MOULT 
If, as occasionally happens, a breeder possesses a 
young cock who, in spite of being a sound, healthy bird, 
misses his first moult, he will discover that this bird, 
after a very short course of study, will outstrip all his 
companions, and bring out his tours like an adult. The 
conclusion is, therefore, obvious that the moult hinders 
development of the song. It is a question of duration, 
that is, whether the bird renews his feathers slowly or 
quickly, and it will be found that those which have 
made the most progress in the moult will show the 
greatest advance in their song. 
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