APPENDIX. 677 



Superiority in fong gives to birds a mod amaz- 

 ing afcendency over each other; as is well known 

 to the bird-catchers by the fafcinating power of 

 their call-birds, which they contrive mould moult 

 prematurely for this purpofe. 



But, to mew decifively that the finging of a bird 

 in the fpring does not arife from any attention 

 to its mate, a very experienced catcher of nightin- 

 gales hath informed me, that fome of thefe birds 

 have jerked the inftant they were caught. He hath 

 alfo brought to me a nightingale, which had been 

 but a few hours in a cage, and which burft forth in 

 a roar of fong. 



At the fame time this bird is fo fulky on its firft 

 confinement, that he muft be crammed for feven or 

 eight days, as he will otherwife not feed himfelf; 

 it is alfo necefTary to tye his wings, to prevent his 

 killing himfelf againft the top or fides of the cage. 



I believe there is no inftance of any bird's fing- 

 ing which exceeds our black bird in fize •, and pof- 

 fibly this may arife from the difficulty of its con- 

 cealing itfelf, if it called the attention of its ene- 

 mies, not only by bulk, but by the proportionable 

 loudnefs of its notes *. 



I mould rather conceive, it is for the fame rea- 

 fon that no henbird fings, becaufe this talent would 

 be ftill more dangerous during incubation 5 which 



* For the fame reafon, moll large birds are wilder than the 

 fmaller ones. 



Y y 2 may 



