90 MEMOIRS OF 



Wherefore, fmce the ear of the feathered 

 warbler is open to the immenfe variety of 

 ftrains, poured from the throat of birds of 

 other plume, whence its invariable choice of 

 the family fong ? And, when the female 

 fees fuch numbers of different nefts build- 

 ing around her for the reception of the cal- 

 low brood, whence her inflexible attach- 

 ment to thefamify neft ? 



Dr. Darwin read his chapter on InftincT: 

 to a lady, who was in the habit of breeding 

 canary-birds. She obferved that the pair, 

 which he then faw building their neft in 

 her cage, were ai male and female, who 



had been hatched, and reared in that very 

 cage, and were not in exiftence when the 

 mofly cradle was fabricated, in which they 

 firft faw light. She afked him how, 

 upon Jiis principle of imitation, he could 

 account for the neft he then faw building, 

 being conftrufted, even to the precife dif- 

 pofal of every hair and fhred of wool, upon 



the 



