ds taken from the nest at two or three weeks old have
already learnt the call-note of their species. To prevent this the birds
must be taken from the nest when a day or two old, and he gives an
account of a goldfinch which he saw at Knighton in Radnorshire, and
which sang exactly like a wren, without any portion of the proper note
of its species. This bird had been taken from the nest at two or three
days old, and had been hung at a window opposite a small garden, where
it had undoubtedly acquired the notes of the wren without having any
opportunity of learning even the call of the goldfinch.

He also saw a linnet, which had been taken from the nest when only two
or three days old, and which, not having any other sounds to imitate,
had learnt almost to articulate, and could repeat the words "Pretty
Boy," and some other short sentences.

Another linnet was educated by himself under a _vengolina_ (a small
African finch, which he says sings better than any foreign bird but the
American mocking bird), and it imitated its African master so exactly
that it was impossible to distinguish the one from the other.

Still more extraordinary was the case of a common house sparrow, which
only chirps in a wild state, but which learnt the song of the linnet and
goldfinch by being brought up near those birds.

The Rev. W. H. Herbert made similar observations, and states that the
young whinchat and wheatear, which have naturally little variety of
song, are ready in confinement to learn from other species, and become
much better songsters. The bullfinch, whose natural notes are weak,
harsh, and insignificant, has nevertheless a wonderful musical faculty,
since it can be taught to whistle complete tunes. The nightingale, on
the other hand, whose natural song is so beautiful, is exceedingly apt
in confinement to learn that of other birds instead. Bechstein gives an
account of a redstart which had built under the eaves of his house,
which imitated the song of a caged chaffinch in a window underneath,
while another in his neighbour's garden repeated some of the notes of a
blackcap, which had a nest close by.

These facts, and many others which might be quoted, render it certain
that the peculiar notes of birds are acquired by imitation, as surely as
a child learns English or French, not by instinct, but by hearing the
language spoken by its parents.

It is especially worthy of remark that, for young birds to acquire a new
song correctly