174 WOOD NOTES WILD. 



IMITATION. Contin. 



imitation as a factor in the variation of bird-song. The 

 following is a record from the author's diary : 



"I have heard wonderful singing from a caged robin 

 that sang no strain in common with his species. His 

 voice was stronger than the wild robin's, and his music did 

 not lack variety. No one would surmise that it was a 

 robin singing. He was picked up half-grown. I have 

 also heard a robin sing in fine style a well constructed, 

 pleasing melody that had been taught him from a musical 

 instrument. This bird sang none of the music of his wild 

 ancestry. His voice was superior. I believe the bird 

 singing to be very much a matter of education or 

 imitation ; and it is by no means certain that it has 

 reached perfection." 



The thought last expressed is one the author delighted 

 to dwell upon. But a few hours before he sank into the 

 final stupor he sang with great spirit the new cuckoo song 

 (page 88) ; and among his last words were, " The birds 

 improve." 



See Index, Improvement, etc. 



There is a valuable record on this point, now a century 

 old: 



" I educated a young robin under a very fine nightingale, which, how- 

 ever, began already to be out of song, and was perfectly mute in less than 

 a fortnight. This robin afterwards sang three parts in four nightingale; 

 and the rest of his song was what the bird-catchers call rubbish, or no 

 particular note whatsoever. I hung this robin nearer to the nightingale 

 than to any other bird ; from which first experiment I conceived that the 

 scholar would imitate the master which was at the least distance from him. 

 From several experiments, however, which I have since tried, I find it to 

 be very uncertain what notes the nestling will most attend to, and often 



