[ 26 9 ] 
as thefe intervals can only be found in the key of F> 
with a fharp third, or that of G. with a flat third. 
I muft own, I (hould rather fuppofe it to be the 
latter, and for the following reafons. 
Lucretius fays (and perhaps the conjecture is not 
only ingenious but well founded), that the firft mu- 
fical notes were learned from birds : 
cc At liquidas avium voces imitarier ore 
“ Ante fuit multo, quam laevia carmina cantu 
“ Concelebrare homines polfent, cantuque juvare.” 
Now, of all the muflcal tones which can be di- 
fbinguilhed in birds, thofe of the cuckow have been 
moft attended to, which form a flat third, not only 
by the obfervations of the harpfichord tuner I have 
before mentioned, but likewife by thofe of Kircher, 
in his Mufurgia. 
I know well that there have been fome late com- 
pofitions, which introduce the cuckow notes in a 
fharp third ; thefe compofers, however, did not 
trouble themfelves with accuracy in imitating thefe 
notes, and it anfwered their purpofe fufficiently, if 
there was a general refemblance. 
Another proof of our muflcal intervals being ori- 
ginally borrowed from the fong of birds, arifes from 
moll compofitions being in a flat third, where mufic 
is Ample, and confifts merely of melody. 
The oldeft tune I happen to have heard is a 
Wellh one, called Morvar Rhydland *, which is 
* Or Rhydland Marjh , where the Welfli received a great de- 
feat ; Rhydland is in Flintfhire. We find alfo, by the Orpheus 
Britannicus , that even fo late as the tithe of Purcel, two parts in 
the three of his compofitions are in the flat third. 
N n -a' compofed 
/ 
