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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
done by some gesture or vocal expression. The cunning or 
intelligence of the fox has long passed into a proverb, not only 
applicable to the much persecuted animal of Europe, but also 
the unmolested species of foreign countries. Thus the red fox 
of the wilderness tracts of North America is just as wild and 
wary as its English compeer ; so much so, that trappers find 
it useless to try and capture them alive, and therefore resort to 
poison. 
The power of imitation, although strong in birds, is confined 
altogether to the voice. Every observer who has paid attention 
to their songs and call-notes will readily allow that they are 
great copyists. The piping bullfinch before referred to, when 
moulting, and dmfing a serious illness, never attempted the ac- 
quired notes, nor even its native song ; but afterwards, whilst 
the latter seemed to return without any effort, the former 
required days to become perfected; and after the sick attack 
it could not manage the two last lingering notes exactly, 
and used to constantly repeat inaccurate imitations, until I 
whistled them, when he followed my cue and seemed quite 
relieved that he had got into the right tune again, repeating 
it upwards of a score of times in rapid succession. Many of 
our common birds imitate call-notes of certain species, but of 
all others the thrush family present, in the Mocking-birds, the 
most perfect imitators. But although parrots are easily taught 
in captivity, they are not by any means given to copy the call- 
notes of other birds in their native woods. 
The voice of birds is the nearest approach to language, and 
although decidedly instinctive, it is developed more or less by 
imitation. Indeed, although the young bird’s essays are im- 
perfect at first, and greatly assisted by hearing its own species, 
still a bullfinch or canary reared from the nest, and kept apart 
from its own kind, will sing just as perfectly as if it had been 
brought up in the society of its parents. It may be a question, 
hov^ever, if this hereditary instinct would maintain its exact 
character through many generations of canaries treated in the 
above way. No doubt birds sing from pleasure, sometimes to 
charm the female ; at others, as in the case of the redbreast in 
autumn, chiefly in emulation of a rival, as may be observed 
when he stops to listen for the response, and then breaks forth 
afresh, as if he challenged all the robins within hail to equal 
his strains. Many birds utter certain low warbling measures to 
their mates, accompanied by love antics and gestures clearly 
indicating pleasurable excitement. Even the dirty town 
sparrow makes known his attachment by vocal sounds and gro- 
tesque movements. No doubt the female often looks on with 
indifference on such occasions, and among a flock of linnets it 
would seem that it is the more rosy breasted males that are the 
