APPENDIX. 66s 



account not only of this bird's docility, and great 

 powers of imitation, but becaufe the cock is eafily 

 diftinguifhed from the hen at that early period, by 

 the fuperior whitenefs in the wing *. 



In many other forts of finging birds the male is 

 not at the age of three weeks fo certainly known 

 from the female ; and if the pupil turns out to be 

 a hen, 



u ibi omnis 



« EfFufus labor." 



The Greek poets made a fongfter of the a*#f/ 

 whatever animal that may be, and it is remarkable 

 that they obferved the female was incapable of ring- 

 ing as well as hen birds : 



Ezt sicriv 01 rsrliysg hk sv$m/mve$, 

 fiv Tai$ yuvai£iv x (forixv <puvns £ w 5 

 Comicorum Gracorum Sentential, p. 452. Ed. Steph, 



I have indeed known an inflance or two of a 

 hen's making out fomething like the fong of her 

 fpecies - 9 but thefe are as rare as the common hen's 

 being heard to crow. 



I rather fufpect alfo, that thofe parrots, mag- 

 pies, &c. which either do not fpeak at all, or very 

 little, are hens of thofe kinds. 



* The white reaches alrnofl to the ihaft of the quill fea- 

 thers, and in the hen does not exceed more than half of that 

 (pace : it is alfo of a brighter hue. 



X x 4 I have 



