3^2 Mifcellama Curiofa. Vol. IIL 



Thred-Iike Pillars or Fibers, which as we 

 fuppofed had another ufe alfo, to break the 

 Sound from making any confufed Eccho, and 

 to make it one and diftind ^ this pafTage we 

 obferved betwixt the two Skulls was much 

 larger in Singing Birds than in others that 

 do not fing , fo very remarkable that any 

 Perlbn that has been but fliow'd this may ea- 

 Jily judge by the Head what Bird is a Singing 

 Bird, or has aptitude thereto, tho' he never 

 faw the Bird before, nor knew what Bird it 

 were : This has often made me refled how 

 much the Modification of Voices depends 

 upon the acuracy of the Ear, and how deaf 

 Perfons become Dumb : And fince I have ob- 

 lerved that many Children that have an 

 acute Wit enough that are flow of Speech, 

 that is long before they fpeak are much lon- 

 ger before they can pronounce thofe Letters 

 that are fliarps, as g. h. r. and never have an 

 aptitude to learn to fing. Hence I judge 

 that Songs that have many Sharps in them 

 are the difficulteft to fing weil,and difcover any 

 Perlbns skill upon the trial of Mufickmoft.This 

 I fuppofe only, having no Skill in Mufick my 

 lelf, nor having ever difcourfed any Perfon 

 about it/ As I remember we fliow'd ibme of 

 thefe things to the Royal Society^ and I drew 

 fonie Guts thereof, and gave the Doftor up- 

 on promife that he would put thefe and many 

 other our joint Obfervations in Print, but I 

 hear he is fince dead. I have Anatomize4 

 mofl: forts of Creatures, and never found any 

 Four-footed Creature with an Ear like a 

 Bird, unlefs a Mole *, and a Mole has an 

 Ear much like them, with a very thin dou^ 

 ' bie Scull, and great Cavity like a Bird, and 



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