th'e SINGING of BIRDS. 17^ 
hen), that the fame mufcles were Wronger in 
the cock. 
1 fent the cock and hen Rook, in order to 
fee whether there would be the fame difference 
in the cock and hen of a fpecies which did not 
f ng at all. Mr Hunter, however, told me, 
that he had not attended fo much to their com- 
parative organs of voice as in the other kinds ; 
but that, to the beft of his recollection, there 
was no difference at all. 
Strength, however, in thefe mufcles, feems 
not to be the only requifite ; the birds muft 
have alfo great plenty of food, which feems to 
be proved fufficiently by birds in a cage tinging 
the greateff part of the year, when the wild 
ones do not (as I obferved before) continue in 
fong above ten weeks. 
The food of finging birds confifts of plants, 
infects, or feeds ; and, of the two firft of thefe, 
there is infinitely the greateft profufion in the 
Spring-. 
A O 
As for feeds, which are to be met with only 
m the Autumn, I think they cannot well find 
any great quantities of them in a country fo 
cultivated as England is ; for the feeds of mea- 
dows are deftroyed by mowing ; in paftures, by 
Uie bite in the cattle ; and in arable, by tire 
Plough, when mold of them are buried too eledp 
^ or ^ ie bird to reach them. 
