Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-04-24
The Bob-o-Link.

A curious circumstance, quite aside from
the ordinary dictates of instinct, occurred
ia the case of a Young bob-o-lnk in the fam
ily Of Rev J. w. Turner, of Great Bar
rmgton lie was caged al first apart from
pair of canaries which were IN another
cage in the same room. The bob-o-lnk
never sang at al from June t. December,
until be was permitted to share in the same
cage the ciyiliues aud sympathles Of has
nei1hbors, the caaaTles, who had been so
long entertaining him with their sweet and
uuWearled strains When admitted 10 the
same cage with them, he tired most assIdu-
ously to learn their song Al first, howev-
er, fur a long time, with miserable success
enough. He would stand and watch them
with an agony OF attention, and then Try to
initiate their notes. lie would swell out
ms throat, and stretch up his neck as they
did, aud then with ylolent effort try to
sound one note, which, IN spite of all his
zeal and labor, proved To be mere rough
scream. At his Illuminating failure, he would
be 50 provoked and enraged that he would
Nv al MS Inoiensge and well-meaning mates
and teachers, aud peck them most unmerci-
fully, and drive them from their perch. SO
he did for three or four weeks, before any
apparent progress was made IN his studies.
But his perseverance was equal to the diff
cullies he had To overcome At length he
could sound one note well, and one only
Aud so he continued for some six weeks
longer; learning one note at a time, all he
had finally completed the whole canary song
and could sing 1t to perfection. Then be
would sing with them IN perfect harmony
and perfect time, always closing at the ex-
act note with them.
1t Is also htile singular that, although
through all this training, he was never
known to begin to make a sound tlll the ca
narles had first struck the keynote, yet af
ter he had acquired the skill to sing iheil
song, he must always himself now give the
signal by the significant eiaok when, IN
sianty, the canarles, generously forgetting
or lorglyIng his former incIyllitles, wouiC
strike IN with him, and perform the piec'
wrth the greatest perfection, aud with The
highest delight TO themselves aud the listen
ing family, who enjoyed this singular con
cert through the early part of every day fol
the whole summer
II IS also worthy ofremark, that this sue
cessiul essayist IN foreign music was neve
known To utter a note, or 10 attempt TO ut
ter a note in his native tongue, tall he hat
mastered the canary. Then, after a few
weeks, when he found himself something q
an independent singer, aud capable, as h
) thought, of leading the choir, he at last ven
tured to 60 without the chorus and attemp
his own native melody. Ia his first attempt
at the solo, IL was most dlyeTllng to hea
him in confused noles-parl in his nativ
! bob-o-llnk, aud part in cauary-till al lengt
he was able to expel all foreign element
from his style, and sing only the pure bob
} o-link.
: Having now succeeded in this he propo:
2 ed TO the canarIes to try the chorus agar
. and gave the " ciack," when the canariei
instant to the sign, started off singing thei
: own native song. But not SO the bob-'
j link he threw himself on his reserve
d rights" and sung bob-o-llnk and SO the
y have continued to the present time, he SIM
d ing bob-o-llnk, aud they, canary. And
}. he is The chorister, they begin when he doe
and end when he ends, precisely at the sam
! instant.
;. When the bob-o-link was FIRST caught, h
n colors were a bright, beautiful black, al
IA white. After Noting, he for some reasS