282 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



whereas, in the cage, he could not avoid hearing the 

 sparrows, the black-cap, and the red-breast*. 



Mr. Sweet is an advocate for the theory we are 

 considering, from having observed similar facts with- 

 out having adverted to the different circumstances 

 in which wild and caged birds are placed. Of the 

 red-start (Sylvia Phcenicurus), he says, " it may 

 be taught to sing any tune that is whistled or 

 sung to it: one that I was in possession of for 

 some years back, learnt the Copenhagen waltz, 

 that it had frequently heard sung, only it would 

 sometimes stop in the middle and say chipput, a 

 name by which it was generally called, and which 

 it would repeat every time I entered the room 

 where it was, either by night or by dayt-" M. 

 Bechstein asserts, that the red-start " knows how 

 to embellish its natural song (composed of several 

 rather pretty strophes), by adding the notes of other 

 birds with which it associates. One which had built 

 under the eaves of my house imitated pretty closely a 

 caged chaffinch in the window underneath ; and my 

 neighbour had another in his garden, which repeated 

 some of the notes of a black-cap that had a nest hard 

 by. This facility of appropriating the song of other 

 birds, is rare in a wild state, and appears to be almost 

 confined to this species J." Even this anomalous 

 instance may be easily explained on the principle 

 we have stated, for the red-start having its nest near 

 where the caged chaffinch was stationed was forced 

 to hear its notes till they were impressed on its 

 memory. 



The researches of comparative anatomy have 

 thrown much light upon the peculiar structure of 

 song-birds, though there remain still many points 

 of interest for future investigation. This indeed, as 



* J. R. f British Warblers, in loco. 



% Taschenbuch, Art, Rothschwanzchen. 



