the SINGING of BIRDS.' 1QI 
tation, ever adheres to the parental note ? but 
it mull be recollected, that a bird, when at li- 
berty, is for ever fhifting its place, and confe- 
quently, does not hear the fame notes eternally 
repeated as when it hangs in a cage near ano- 
ther. In a wild (late, therefore, the Sky-Lark 
adheres to the parental notes, as the parent 
cock attends the young ones, and is heard by 
them foi lo conffilerable a time. 
I am aware alfo, that it may be afked, how 
birds originally came by the notes which are 
peculiar to each fpecies ? My anfwer, however, 
to this is, that tire origin of the notes of birds, 
together with its gradual progrefs, is as difficult 
to be traced as that of the different languages 
in nations. 
Thelofsof the parent-cock, at the critical 
time for inftru&ion, hath undoubtedly produ- 
ced thole varieties, which I have before obfer- 
ved are in the fong of each fpecies ; becaufe 
then the neftling hath either attended to the 
fong of fome other birds ; or, perhaps, invent- 
ed iome new notes of its own, which are af- 
terwards perpetuated from generation to gene- 
ration, till fimilar accidents produce other al- 
terations. The organs of fome birds alfo are 
probably fo defective, that they cannot imitate 
properly the parental note, as fome men can 
never articulate as they Ihould do. Such de- 
feats in the parent bird muft again occaiion va« 
