: ON THE SINGING OF BIRDS. 
and educated him under a linnet: the bird, 
however, by accident, heard a goldfinch also, 
and his song was, therefore, a mixture of the 
linnet and goldfinch. 
I have tried several experiments, in order 
to observe, from what circumstances birds fix 
upon any particular note when taken from the 
parents; but cannot settle this with any sort 
of precision, any more than at what period of 
their recording they determine upon the song 
to which they will adhere. 
I educated a young robin under a very fine 
nightingale ; which, however, began already to 
be out of song, and was perfectly mute in less 
than a fortnight. 
This robin afterwards sung 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 expe- 
riment I conceived, that the scholar would imi- 
tate the master which was at the least distance 
from him. 
From several other experiments, however, 
which I have since tried, I find it to be very 
uncertain what notes the nestlings will most 
attend to, and often their song is a mixture; 
VOL. II. | z 
OS 
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