PDF - Wallace Online

v THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIRDS' NESTS 105He then goes on to say that birds taken from the nest at twoor three weeks old have already learnt the call-note of theirspecies. To prevent this the birds must be taken from thenest when a day or two old, and he gives an account of agoldfinch which he saw at Knighton in Radnorshire, andwhich sang exactly like a wren, without any portion of theproper note of its species. This bird had been taken fromthe nest at two or three days old, and had been hung at awindow opposite a small garden, where it had undoubtedlyacquired the notes of the wren without having any opportunityof learning even the call of the goldfinch.He also saw a linnet, which had been taken from thenest when only two or three days old, and which, not havingany other sounds to imitate, had learnt almost to articulate,and could repeat the words, " Pretty Boy," and some other shortsentences.Another linnet was educated by himself under a vengolina(a small African finch, which he says sings better than anyforeign bird but the American mocking bird), and it imitatedits African master so exactly that it was impossible to distinguishthe one from the other.Still more extraordinary was the case of a common housesparrow, which only chirps in a wild state, but which learntthe song of the linnet and goldfinch by being brought upnear those birds.The Rev. W. H. Herbert made similar observations, andstates that the young whinchat and wheatear, which havenaturally little variety of song, are ready in confinement tolearn from other species, and become much better songsters.The bullfinch, whose natural notes are weak, harsh, andinsignificant, 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 tkat of other birdsinstead. Bechstein gives an account of a redstart which hadbuilt under the eaves of his house, which imitated the songof a caged chaffinch in a window underneath, while anotherin his neighbour's garden repeated some of the notes of ablackcap, which had a nest close by.These facts, and many others which might be quoted,