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Grumpy Philosopher

@stevecooke.org
12K followers 2.2K following 12K posts

Grumpy. Associate Professor of Political Philosophy. Animal rights, ethics of activism, political philosophy. Homepage: stevecooke.org

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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 02/10/2026
Very positive discussion with my third years about LLMs today. We talked environmental costs, authoritarianism, patriarchy, tech-bros, etc. They don’t seem to like LLM much more than I do, which makes it all the more depressing that it’s my generation forcing it into their lives.
I am an AI Hater
Here’s my promise to you, I will never use AI:
to write emails to you.
craft the presentations I deliver to you
to summarise information I provide to you.
to help design the courses I deliver to you.
to provide feedback or grade you.
Aside from destroying the planet, enriching really bad people, and having been developed using stolen property, LLMs will harm you as a researcher. 
Using a LLM for your writing and research *will* make you worse at research, less knowledgable, and worse at critical thinking. There is now a growing body of scientific research demonstrating these claims.
You are permitted by the University to use AI, but my strong advice is that you shouldn’t - for both ethical and practical reasons.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 02/10/2026
Everyone loves a progress pic! For me, they're thing that helps motivate me to finish. Also, to spot all of the things that aren't quite right. Since you won't, here's a crudely animated progress gif of what I'm currently working on (which is to say: low quality fantasy art).
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 30/09/2026
I'm holding a talk with students in the medical building, so I've got a seminar room with an examination bed behind the lectern. This could be handy - I picked up a stack of free economics books for my son before dashing across campus & have probably done my back in carrying them.
Photo of a lectern with keyboard, overhead projector/visualiser, and remote controls. Behind it, a padded medical examination bed.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 29/09/2026
Just look at it! ”Average wealth varied most by age, with median total wealth amongst respondents aged in their early 60s almost nine times as high as those aged in their early 30s.” www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Whisker plot showing mean and median individual wealth by age in Great Britain 2018-2020. Shows the wealthiest groups are in the55-90+ range, with 65-69 being the wealthiest.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 28/09/2026
I've just been looking through my paperwork for some teaching materials and found this from 2023. I can't remember whether I printed it because it was useful or because of how implausible it sounded. Anyway, insert bitter laughter here.
2 Mar 2023
Next REF could  'liberate creativity'.
Research Professional News
By Sophie Inge
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 10/09/2026
Quick sketch to relax post conference. Moth friend:
Black and white sketch of a moth, facing the viewer while perched on a branch.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 05/09/2026
Having a go at making scented candles. Turns out to involve a lot more maths, know-how, and craft than I was expecting, but quite a lot of fun nevertheless.
A silicone mould containing molten wax, with a wick held in place by a stick.A white candle, burning, with an embossed moon-moth design on it.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 03/09/2026
I should probably not be enjoying writing this chapter on animal rights activism as much as I am, but some of these sentences have been quite a lot of fun to write. Activists have done some wild stuff.
In short, a significant proportion of the public respond negatively to animal rights activism, especially if it involves law-breaking. This is true, even for direct action that stops far short of graverobbing for the purposes of blackmail.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 25/08/2026
In two years, the University of Dundee will have shed nearly 1000 jobs. A large part of the reason will have been dreadful leadership. Out of curiosity, I‘ve just looked at the LinkedIn page of the man responsible (formally, he was awful at my university too). ‘Economic transition!‘ Shameless:
LinkIn profile. Beneath a photo of a smiling disaster, text reads “ Iain Gillespie
Leader in higher education, innovation, economic transition and environmental science“About
Professor Iain Gillespie is an internationally recognised leader in higher education, innovation, economic transition and environmental science. He recently stepped down from his role as Principal & Vice Chancellor (President) of the University of Dundee, the UK’s leading university for life sciences research and innovation, after having led that institution to recognition as Scottish University of the Year in two of the last three years. He also led Universities Scotland, the body representing all 19 Scottish Universities, from August 2023-December 2024.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 24/08/2026
Spotted a Ghent philosophy PhD student had added their name to the Confas support letter & thought I‘d see what kind of thing they might be interested in…nationalist eugenics…double yikes. Some additional yikes in the references. Eugenicists really outing themselves.
Eugenicists write:

Techno-natalism: Geopolitical and socioeconomic implications of emerging reproductive technologies in a world of sub-replacement fertility
Craig James Willy1 and Filipe Nobre Faria2
1Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University, Belgium and 2NOVA University Lisbon, NOVA Institute of Philosophy,
Portugal
Corresponding author: Filipe Nobre Faria; Email: filipefaria@gmail.com

Abstract
Population is a key factor of national power. Declining fertility rates, especially in major economies, are reshaping global power dynamics by shrinking workforces amidst aging populations. In response, more
nations are adopting techno-natalist policies, promoting reproductive technologies (“reprotech”) like IVF to increase birth rates. Advances in genetic embryo selection, gene editing, in vitro gametogenesis, and artificial wombs could further enhance these policies by improving birth rates, health, and human capital. This article
examines current and emerging reprotechnologies, the policy landscape, socioeconomic and geopolitical implications, and future research directions. By shaping national and global gene pools, reprotech policies and practices offer a paradigmatic case of gene–culture coevolution. If these technologies prove safe and
effective, nations that embrace them are likely to gain geopolitical and evolutionary advantages over those that do not.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 24/08/2026
My wife is working a local Country music and Americana festival. She checked out the food offerings: ‘A taste of Country food‘ apparently involves no vegetables at all. Pretty terrible first impression of a festival tbh., also of the culture the festival supposedly represents.
Drop down menu option: ‚Vegetarian‘ showing ‚Sorry, we couldn‘t find any vendors.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 24/08/2026
The Confas support letter is currently cursed, hopefully this number is where it stays just for the sake of poeticism.
List of names on petition, ends: ‚666 signatories so far‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 22/08/2026
Doing a spot of pickling! The house, and possibly also the entire street, now smells of vinegar.
Jar of pickled slice radish on the left and pickled mushrooms on the right.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20/08/2026
I'm on the same version of Word as you and this is what my preferences options look like. I assume our administrators control what options I get and their deal with Microsoft to be some kind of awful Copilot AI Frontier university means ramming this shit down our throats.
Screenshot of Word Preferences window.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20/08/2026
Copilot bollocks appeared on my Mac version of Word this morning. There appears no option to remove it, I assume because it's licensed through my university, who have drunk all the LLM Coolaid in the universe. If I cannot find a way to remove it in the next ten minutes, MS Office is getting deleted.
Screenshot of word document with options for 'Summary by Copilot' and Copilot logo hovering over the document.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 17/08/2026
Oh wow, I have just read the most amazing two sentences about Andrew Bridgen (on a hilarious right-wing website). It‘s the most perfect example of almost getting it I‘ve ever seen, so good, chef‘s kiss.
AFTER 14 years as MP for North West Leicestershire, former Conservative Andrew Bridgen lost his seat in spectacular fashion at the general election in July with an implausible 95 per cent decrease in votes. This made no sense as he enjoyed more than 95 per cent recognition on the doorstep,…
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 12/08/2026
I’ve followed my own advice - which felt silly but was nevertheless fun.
Shadow of the eclipse as viewed through a colander.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 12/08/2026
I'm trying to write about animal rights and this fucking thing has parked outside the window - it feels like a personal attack.
View out of a cafe window, blocked by a van with a giant picture of a joint of cooked meat on the side.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 10/08/2026
Oh Evri..."We've not been able to get to your ParcelShop today due to bad weather in the area..." Bad weather...23°C, sunny, no rain, light breezes. I suppose they don't have an option for 'can't be bothered' or 'our staff don't care because we treat them appallingly'.
Met Office screenshot showing weather in Leicester as 23 degrees celsius, sunny, light winds.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 05/08/2026
The inevitable endpoint of this story, in which a man in the Telegraph uses a single case to complain that attempts to treat people fairly are an existential threat to universities. Surprise: you’ll never believe that the professor who wrote the story went to an elite, boys-only private school.
Telegraph headline: “Alex Edmans: Jason Arday reflects a much
deeper rot within universities Beyond the farce engulfing Cambridge is the painful cost that DEI imposes on higher education”
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 30/07/2026
Apparently, it's World Embroidery Day, because there are world days for pretty much anything you can imagine. Here's the latest ridiculous thing I've embroidered. I'm unhappy with one bit of it but cannot be bothered to fix it. #embroidery
An embroidery hoop containing a freehand embroidered gold heart overlaid with three purple lunar moths.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 18/07/2026
I recently bought a Ukrainian Vareniki maker for a little over a tenner: total game changer. Knocked out 50 boolawnee (delicious Afghan leek pastry) in a quarter of the time I’d usually take. If you make a lot of pot-stickers or other kinds of dumplings, this thing is brilliant.
Two serving dishes filled with little golden fried pastries. A third dish contains a tabbouleh.Aluminium Vareniki-making press, lightly floured.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 17/07/2026
Embroidering a weird little eye for no reason that I can readily explain, except that arts and crafts are good for the soul and I need something to occupy my mind when I’m taking writing breaks.
Embroidery hoop with a partially completed embroidered image of an eye within it.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 13/07/2026
Being asked to provide reasons why I’m wrong about LLMs was too much for this guy, he preferred to merely assert the contrary. I like the little winking face emoji after being a patronising twat though, really adds a certain something.
ejwagenmakers.bsky.social @ejwagenmakers.bsky.social • 12m
It's not worth it, since I don't think you would be ready to change your mind. I merely wish to register my disagreement and hopefully prompt reflection. If you really want to know you can ask any LLM and it will spell things out for you ;-)
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 12/07/2026
Looking after my mental health by painting the kind of cheesy 1980s fantasy art that you’d see on the box of a jigsaw puzzle found in a charity shop. Some pieces would probably be missing.
Painting of a crouching wizard, robed in yellow & wth his face hidden in shadow, summoning a dragon-spirit or whatnot from a smoking brazier. It’s set in a cave, with a twilight view of snowy mountains outside the cave mouth.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 10/07/2026
The Times and Telegraph both running stories within two days of each other about wealthy antisocial columnists who should have their driving licences taken away.
The Times screenshot. Shows some twat, dressed like he’s on the way to a Biggles convention, leaning against his car. Headline reads “ The 20mph trap — I've got nine points! I was a model driver. Now I'm one fine off a ban. By Jack Burke“
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 07/07/2026
Just visited the BBC‘s football page to see if there was a photo of Ronaldo looking sad (my favourite genre of Schadenfreude sources). Was not disappointed, 10/10.
photo of Ronaldo crying above text reading ‚ Ronaldo's World Cup career
ends in tears as 'pandering' Martinez departs‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 30/06/2026
“That sign is such a disgusting butchering of the Nicene Creed.“
Road sign, reads ‚Sign not in use‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 30/06/2026
“That sign is such a disgusting butchering of the Nicene Creed.“
Protestors holding signs that read ‚J.D. Vance‘s Netflix password is “password“‘ and ‚J.D. Vance claps when the plane lands.‘ The man holding them wears a t-shirt with a picture of a mushroom above the words ‚Tiny Dick Tator‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 30/06/2026
“That sign is such a disgusting butchering of the Nicene Creed.“
Protest sign reading ‚Vance skis in jeans‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 26/06/2026
I‘m not appalled by this.
Photo of Emmanuel Macron with text:
YOUR CLOSEST MATCH:
Emmanuel Macron
President of France (2017-present)
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20/06/2026
Ah, it was this post:
US Homeland Security twitter post supporting football team. Picture reads DEFEND THE HOMELAND, ONE NATION, ONE HOMELAND, ONE TEAM under a black and white US flag and superimposed over some footballers. Tweet reads OUR SOIL with flag emoji.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20/06/2026
A surprising number of Americans spent last night telling me attack helicopters are a very normal way to start a football match, everybody does it. It isn‘t, they don‘t, but if it were & they did then it would still be messed-up & weird.
A flight of four attack helicopters flying low over a crowded stadium. Photo from Reuters.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 17/06/2026
I've ticked cycling in London off my list, so now have seen what London cyclists are like firsthand & understand why people hate cyclists. Going to talk human exceptionalism on Radio 4, but not until after coffee and cake.
Man with glasses and black t-shirt standing in front of inward curving building front bearing BBC logo.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 09/06/2026
OK Kemi, so we scrap the duty to treat people equally…now, what? Tell me how allowing public authorities to unfairly discriminate on grounds of age, sex, race, disability, etc., & to promote discriminating this way, would somehow improve equality? I‘ll wait.
The general duty requires public authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to:

eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other unlawful conduct prohibited by the act
advance equality of opportunity between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic
foster good relations between people who share and people who do not share a relevant protected characteristic
These are sometimes called the 3 aims of the duty.

The relevant protected characteristics are:

age
disability
gender reassignment
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 08/06/2026
The taste of sick in my mouth at this prompted me to look a little more closely at this org. Tyler Cohen on the board, which figures. I'm guessing they're operating on an extremely narrow conception of liberalism (coining it liberalism for arseholes or edgelord liberalism).
Institute for Humane Studies @theihs.org

6h

What if your students could have a Socratic exchange with Hayek, Smith, or Arendt, drawing on their actual works?

Classical Liberal Mind lets your students converse with 29 canonical thinkers.

Explore for free: ClassicalLiberalMind.ai
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 04/06/2026
Farage is now complaining that some police officers who received diversity & inclusion training reported feeling ‘controlled and pressured to be certain ways‘. What ways Nigel, what ways? See: www.lbc.co.uk/article/hamp...
Angry goose chasing man in a puffer jacket. Goose is demanding ‚What ways?‘
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 03/06/2026
I got one of those in Estonia!
List of birds with pictures: Nuthatch, Jay, Goose, Sparrow, House-Martin, Gull, Buzzard.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 29/05/2026
I hear Trump is in his situation room making the final decision on the US-Iran ceasefire. I‘ve managed to gain access to the folder containing the draft of the decision.
List of files containing various versions of Final Iran Decision
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 27/05/2026
I don't know what this sticker was attached to, but I have questions and a lingering sense of disquiet.
Sticker reading 'Peel skin before use!'
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 27/05/2026
The Chickadee study I mentioned found that songs were different between the sexes. This is interesting to me for two reasons. One is that Chickadees are pretty similar to Tits. The second is that Chickadee songs were structurally similar between sexes (they varied on things like amplitude).
Great Tit perched on a branchBlack Capped Chickadee perched on a branch.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 26/05/2026
Just did an extremely* rough chart of growth of interest in animal cultures by looking at scientific publications over time. Traces back to Jane Goodall writing about primate behaviour in the mid-1980s. Really time for moral philosophers to get in on the game. * honestly this is very, very rough.
Chart showing growth in scientific publications on animal culture in connection with social behaviour. Chart shows 1 publication in 1950, with little growth until 1990. 1990-present shows large growth, slight dip between 2000-2009.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 23/05/2026
Feeling some sympathy for this author as I read the abstract for their paper. The fact/fart distinction does seem important though.
Abstract
This paper argues that, while there is a difference between personal and sub‐personal explanation, claims of autonomy should be treated with scepticism. It distinguishes between horizontal and vertical explanatory relations that might hold between facts at the personal and farts at the sub‐personal level. Noting that many philosophers are prepared to accept vertical explanatory relations between the two levels, I argue for the stronger claim that, in the case of at least three central personal level phenomena, the demands of explanatory adequacy require postulating horizontal explanatory relations.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 22/05/2026
Today I discovered that the first prime minister of Canada had this wallpaper in his house. I've spent the rest of the day trying to decide if I hate it or if it slaps.
Fancy ptterned pineapple wallpaper.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 16/05/2026
Yes, I know it’s the weekend and I shouldn’t be working, but I’m making some conference handouts nevertheless.
Black and white lino-prints of blue tits and a great tit pegged up to dry.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 28/04/2026
Had cause to take a quick look at research ethics processes in the US, instantly discovered the malign influence of Trump. I don't know how researchers can work with people in the US when policies & processes are likely to be destroyed on a whim, with nothing replacing them & no accountability.
SACHRP Committee









  
  
    

  
      







  
      


      
                  






  
  
  






          The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) was terminated effective March 31, 2025.The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) provides expert advice and recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on issues pertaining to the protection of human subjects in research.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 23/04/2026
Found a picture I inked a few years ago of Vincent Price in Theatre of Blood (playing an actor playing Shylock). Posting because I did this for Shakespeare‘s birthday, which is generally celebrated today. Hurrah Shakespeare!
A pencil sketch, partly inked, of a beared man with long hair, holding a dagger. There‘s a bottle of ink, a palette, and a dip pen beside it.A black and white ink picture of an ornately robed old man holding a dagger.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 22/04/2026
Food on main campus is awful right now, and frankly so is the atmosphere, so I've cycled to the Space Park where there's a ready supply of vegan cake and a good buzz. Hopefully, nobody will notice that I'm not doing space research.
Coffee, cake, and a research paper on a table.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20/04/2026
When a political philosopher is writing about birdsong.
A pile of political philosophy books:
KANT ON EDUCATION
EVA MEIJER: When Animals Speak
DWORKIN: A Matter of Principle
GILLMAN: THE IDEA OF CULTURAL HERITAGE 
KYMLICКА: Multicultural Citizenship
Kymlicka: POLITICS IN THE VERNACULAR
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 17/04/2026
Here, in the 1720 text, while slandering Bullfinches, von Parnau describes them learning songs.
Der Gimpel / dessen Gesang wegen der Unannehmlichkeit fast kein Gesang kan genennet werden / doch treibt er solches sein naturliches Gesang / oder was er gelernet/ es sevengleich Lieder oder andere Vogelgesånger / eben in der Zeit und Art/ wie die Canarien Vogel.
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