664. APPENDIX. 



exclude the call of a cuckow, or clucking of a hen *, 

 as they confift of only two notes -, whilft the fliort 

 burfls of finging birds, contending with each o- 

 ther (called jerks by the bird-catchers) are equal- 

 ly diftinguifhed from what I term fong^ by their 

 not continuing for four feconds. 



As the notes of a cuckow and hett, therefore, 

 though they exceed what I have defined the call of 

 a bird to be, do not amount to its fottg, I will, 

 for this reafon, take the liberty of terming fuch a 

 fucceflion of two notes as we hear in thefe birds, 

 the varied call 



Having thus fettled the meaning; of certain 

 words, which 1 (hall be obliged to make ufe of, I 

 mail now proceed to ftate fome general principles 

 with regard to the finging of birds, which feem to 

 refult from the experiments I have been making 

 for feveral years, and under a great variety of cir- 

 cnmftances. 



Notes in birds are no more innate, than lan- 

 guage is in man, and depend entirely upon the 

 mailer under which they are bred, as far as their 

 organs will enable them to imitate the founds which 

 they have frequent opportunities of hearing. 



Moft of the experiments I have made on this 

 fubjecl: have been tried with cock linnets, which 

 were fledged and nearly able to leave their neft, on 



* The common hen, when fhe lays, repeats the fame 

 note very often, and concludes with the fixth above, which 

 jhe holds far a. longer time. 



account 



