OBSERVATIONS Ofl 
174 
This Robin afterwards fung three parts in 
four Nightingale 5 and the reft of his fong was 
what the bird-catchers call rubbi/fj, or to no par- 
ticular note whatfoever. 
I hung this Robin nearer to the Nightingale- 
than to any other bird ; from which firft expe- 
riment I conceived that the fchclar would imi- 
tate the mafter which was at the leaft difiance 
from him. 
From feveral other experiments, however, 
which 1 have ftnce tried, I find it to be very 
uncertain what notes the nettling will mo ft at- 
tend to, and often their fong is a mixture ; as 
in the inftance which I before ftated of the 
Sparrow. 
I muft own alio, that I conceived, from the 
experiment of educating the Robin under a 
Nightingale, that the fcholar would fix upon 
the note which it firft heard when taken from 
the neft; I imagined likewife, that, if the 
Nightingale had been fully in fong, the inftruc- 
tion for a fortnight would have been fufRcient. 
I have, however, fines tried the following 
experiment ; which convinces me fo much de- 
pends upon circumftances, and perhaps caprice 
in the fcholar, that no general inference or 
rule can be laid down with regard to either or 
thefe fuppofitions, 
I euucated a nefthng Robin under a Wood- 
Lark Linnet which was full in fong, and hung 
