174 WOOD NOTES WILD. 
Im1tTation. — Contin. 
imitation as a factor in the variation of bird-song. The 
following is a record from the author’s diary : — 
“T have heard wonderful singing from a caged robin 
that sang no strainin 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 
todwell 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: — 
“T 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 
