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Moft of the experiments I have made on this fub^ 
jedt have been made with cock linnets, which were 
fledged and nearly able to leave their neft, on ac- 
count not only of this bird’s docility, and great 
powers of imitation, but becaufe the cock is eaflly 
diftinguifhed from the hen at that early period, by 
the fuperior whitenefs in the wing 
In many other forts of finging birds the male is 
not at the age of three weeks fo certainly known 
from the female j and if the pupil turns out to be a, 
hen, 
“ ibi omnis 
“ Effufus labor.” 
The Greek poets made a fongfter of the rer 7 <f, 
whatever animal that may be, and it is remarkable 
that they obferved the female was incapable of ling- 
ing as well as hen birds : 
E it bktiv a TBrJiy^ hk evfioiipovez, 
£lv Tong ywoti^iv a <T otihv (puvys evi ; 
Comicorum Graecorum Sententiae, p. 452. 
Ed. Steph. 
I have indeed known an inftance or two of a 
hen’s making out fomething like the fong cf her 
fpecies ; but thefe are as rare as the common hen’s 
being heard to crow. 
I rather fufpedt alfo, that thofe parrots, magpies, 
&c. which either do not fpeak at all, or very little, 
are hens of thofe fpecies. 
* The white reaches aimed to the {haft of the quill feathers, 
and in the hen does not exceed more than half. 
LI 2 I havs 
