C 2 5 2 ] 
1 would therefore define a bird’s fong to be a fuc- 
cefllon of three or more different notes, which are 
continued without interruption during the fame in- 
terval with a mufical bar of four crotchets in an 
adagio movement, or whilft a pendulum fwings four 
feconds. 
By the firft requifite in this definition, I mean to 
exclude the call of a cuckow, or clucking of a hen *, 
as they confift of only two notes j whilfl the fiiort 
burfts of finging birds, contending with each other 
(called jerks by the bird-catchers), are equally di- 
ftinguifhed from what I term fong , by their not con- 
tinuing for four feconds. 
As the notes of a cuckow and hen, therefore,, 
though they exceed what 1 have defined the call of 
a bird to be, do not amount to its fong , I will, for 
this reafon, take the liberty of terming fuch a fuc- 
cefiion of two notes as we hear in thefe birds, the 
varied call . 
Having thus fettled the meaning of certain words, 
which I lhall be obliged to make ufe of, I fhall now 
proceed to ftate fome general principles with regard 
to the finging of birds, which feem to refult from 
the experiments I have been making for feveral 
years, and under a great variety of circumfiances. 
Notes in birds are no more innate, than language 
4s in man, and depend entirely upon the mailer 
under which, they are bred, as far as their organs- 
will enable them to imitate the founds which they 
have frequent opportunities of hearing. 
* The common hen, when the I a y s s repeats the fame note 
very gfren, and concludes With- the fixth- above, which fie holds 
j l& a linger time, I 
Mod 
