the SINGING cf BIRDS. 173 ' 
nare pt bird, whilft it clifregards the notes of 
oil Others, which may perhaps be finging round 
him. 
Young Canary-Birds are frequently reared in 
a room where there are many other forts ; and 
yet I have been informed that they only learn 
the fong of the parent cock. 
Every one knows that the common houfe 
Sparrow, when in a wild (late, never does any 
thing but chirp : this, however, does not arife 
from want of powers in this bird to imitate 
others, but becaufe he only attends to the pa- 
rental note. 
But, to prove this- decifvely, I took a com- 
mon Sparrow from the'neft when it was fled- 
ged, and educated him under a Linnet : the 
bird, however, by accident, heard a Gold- 
Finch alfo, and his fong was therefore a mix- 
ture of the Linnet and Gold-Finch. 
I have tried feveral experiments, in order to 
obferve from what ci ream fiances birds fix upon 
any particular note when taken from the pa- 
rents ; but cannot fettle this with any fort cf pre- 
cillon, any more than at what part of their 
recording they determine upon the fong to 
which they will adhere. 
1 educated a young Robin under a very fine 
Nightingale ; which, however, began already to 
'' e out of fong, and was perfectly mute in lefs 
than a fortnight. 
U 
P 3 
