454 Animal Life and Intelligence. 



the breeding-time arrived. I have, on the other hand, 

 marvelled to see how like a wild bird's the nests are con- 

 structed. It is customary to supply them with a small set 

 of materials, such as moss and hair. They use the moss 

 for the foundation, and line with the finer materials, just 

 as a wild goldfinch would do, although, making it in a 

 box, the hair alone would be sufficient for the purpose. I 

 feel convinced nest-building is a true instinct." On the 

 other hand, Mr. Charles Dixon, quoted* in Mr. Wallace's 

 "Darwinism," speaking of chaffinches which were taken to 

 New Zealand and turned out there, says, " The cup of the 

 nest is small, loosely put together, apparently lined with 

 feathers, and the walls of the structure are prolonged for 

 about eighteen inches, and hang loosely down the side of 

 the supporting branch. The whole structure bears some 

 resemblance to the nests of the hang-birds (Icteridce), with 

 the exception that the cavity is at the top. Clearly these 

 New Zealand chaffinches were at a loss for a design when 

 fabricating their nest. They had no standard to work by, 

 no nests of their own kind to copy, no older birds to give 

 them any instruction, and the result is the abnormal 

 structure I have just described." 



There is more evidence in favour of the view that the 

 song of birds is, in part at least, imitative. That it has an 

 innate basis is certain ; and that it may be truly instinctive 

 is shown by Mr. Couch's observation of a goldfinch which 

 had never heard the song of its own species, but which 

 sang the goldfinch-song, though tentatively and imperfectly. 

 On the other hand, imitation is undoubtedly a factor. The 

 Hon. Daines Barrington says (1773), "I have educated 

 nestling linnets under the three best singing larks the 

 skylark, woodlark, and titlark every one of which, instead 

 of the linnet's song, adhered entirely to that of their 

 respective instructors. When the note of the titlark linnet 

 was thoroughly fixed, I hung the bird in a room with two 

 common linnets for a quarter of a year. They were in full 

 song, but the titlark linnet adhered steadfastly to that of 



* "Darwinism," p. 76, from Nature, vol. xxxi. p. 533. 



