1 251 ] 
This firft eiTay does not Teem to have the leaf! 
rudiments of the future fong; but as the bird grows 
older and Wronger, one may begin to perceive what 
the refilling is aiming at. 
Whilft the fcholar is thus endeavouring to form 
his fong, when he is once fure of a paffage, he com- 
monly raifes his tone, which he drops again when 
he is not equal to what he is attempting ; juft as a 
finger raifes his voice, when he not only recollects 
certain parts of a tune with precifion, but knows that 
he can execute them. 
What the neftling is not thus thoroughly mafcer 
of, he hurries over, lowering his tone, as if he did not 
with to be heard, and could not yet fatisfy himfelf. 
I have never happened to meet with a paffage in 
any writer, which feems to relate to this ftage of ting- 
ing in a bird, except, perhaps, in the following lines 
of §tatius : 
. ... Nunc volucrum novi 
Queftus, inexpertumque carmen, 
“ Quod tacita ftatuere bruma.” 
Stat. Sylv. L. iv. Eel. 5 . 
A young bird commonly continues to record for 
ten or eleven months, when he is able to exe- 
cute every part of his fong, which afterwards con- 
tinues fixed, and is fcarcely ever altered. 
When the bird is thus become perfeCt in his 
leffon, he is faid to Jing his fong rounds or in all its 
varieties of paffages, which he connects together, 
and executes without a paufe. 
Vol. LXIIL L 1 
I would 
