390 Notes of Birds. 
ed in medicine, because they do not bite-—Rev. Ency. Feb. 
1825. 
24. Influence of the nerves on Animal Heat.—Mr. Earle 
has published an interesting paper, to prove that, when a limb 
is deprived of its due share of vitality, it is incapable of sup- 
porting any fixed temperature, and is peculiarly liable to par- 
take of the heat of surrounding media. . The cases which are 
adduced prove also that a member so circumstanced cannot 
without material injury sustain a degree of heat which would 
be perfectly harmless, or even agreeable to a healthy part : 
thus, the arm of a person became paralytic, in consequence of 
an injury of the axillary plexus of nerves, from a fracture of 
the collar-hone. Upon keeping the limb for nearly half an 
hour in a tub of warm grains, which were previously ascer- 
tained by the other hand not to be too hot, the whole hand be- 
came blistered in a most alarming manner, and sloughs form- 
ed at the extremities of the fingers. In the second case the 
~Inar nerve had been wounded by the surgeon for the 
cure of a painful affection of the arm; the consequence of 
which operation was that the patient was incapable of wash- 
ing in water at a temperature that was quite harmless to-every 
duly vitalized part, without suffering from vesication and 
sloughs. 
25. Netes of Birds——The London Philosophical Magazine 
and Journal for July 1825, contains a paper by Mr. John 
Blackwall, the object of which is to prove, that, contrary to 
the commonly received opinion of the Hen. Daines sages 
ton, the notes of birds are perfectly innate, and not the result 
of imitation. 
“Tn the summer of 1822,” says Mr. Blackwall, “I pro- 
cured three young green grosbeaks——a cock, and two hens ; 
which, as they did not see till the fourth day after they were 
taken from the nest, must then have been only two days 
old.* These birds were reared by hand, in a house situated 
in the town of Manchester where they had no opportunity of 
hearing the notes of any birds, except perhaps, the occasion- 
al chirping of sparrows: nevertheless, they had all their ap- 
propriate calls, and the cock bird had the song peculiar to its 
species.” 
* From numerous observations Mr Blackwall concludes that birds 
usually begin to see about six days after they are hatched. 
