The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-04-30
Bird Music.
GREAT BAKR1seros, March IS. 1851.

GREAT BARRIseToS. March ls. 1851.
Messrs. Editors-A curious circumstance, quite
aside from the ordinary dictates Of instinct, oc-
Cured in the case of young bobolink, in the
family of the Rev. J. w Turner, of Great Barring.
ton, Massachusetts, He was Gagged at first apart
from a pair of canaries, which were in another
cage in the same room. The bobolink never sang
at all from June to December, until he was permit.
ted to share IN the same cage the civties and sym
pathies of his neighbors, the canaries, who had
been so long entertaining him with their sweet and
unwearied strains. When admitted 70 the same
cage with them. he tried most assiduously 10 learn
their song. At first however, for long time, with
miserable success enough He would stand and
watch them with an agony Of attention, and then
try TO initiate their notes. He would swell out his
throat, and stretch up his neck as they did, and
then with violent effort try to sound one Does,
which, in spite Of all his zeal and labor proved TO
be mere rough scream. At this humiIiating fail
ure he would be so provoked and enraged, that he
would fly at his in0ffensve and well meaning mates
and teachers, and peck them most numerically,
and drive them from their perch. So he did for
three or tour weeks, before any apparent progress
was made in his studies. But his perseverance, was
equal to the difficulties he had to overcome. AT
length he could sound one note well and one only.
And SO he continued for some six weeks longer;
learning one note at time, till he had finally
pleted the whole canary song and could sing it 10
perfection. Then he would sing with them in per-
feet harmony and perfect time, always closing at
the exact note with them.
It is also little singular that, although through
all this training, he never known to begin to
make sound till the canaries had first struck the
Keynote, yet after he had acquired the skill sing
their song, he must always himself now give the
signal by significant cluck, when, instantly, the
canarles, generously forgetting forgivng his for
mer incviities, would strike in with him, and per-
form the piece with the grestest perfection, ami
with the highest delight to themselves and the lis
tening family, who enjoyed this singular concert
through the early part of every day for the whole
summer.
1t is also worthy of remark that this successful
essayist In foreign music was known to utter
note, or attempt to utter note in his native
tongue, till he had mastered the canary. Then. af
ter a few weeks, when he found himself something
Of an Independent singer, and capable, as he
thought, OF leading the choir, he at last ven tured
logo without the chorus and attempt his own ma
tive melody. In his first attempts at the solo, it
was most divertiDg to hear him in confused potes-
part IN his native bobollnk, and part in canary till
at length he was able to expel all foreign element
from his style, and sing only the pure bobolink
Having now succeeded in this, he proposed to
the canariss to try the chorus again, and gave the
:" clnct," when the canaries, instant to the sign,
started of singing their own native song. But not
to the bobolink; he threw himself on his reserved
rights AMI sang bobolnk; and they have con-
hnued to the present time, he singing bobolink,
and they canary. And he is the chorister thew
begin when he does, and end when he ends, pre-
cisely at the came instant. t.
When this bobollnk was first caught, his colofs
bright, beautiful black and white After
molung, he, for some reason not stated, never re-
sumed his original spring dress, but has continued
the plain brown, like the female, now for two
years; and sings in the winter well in the
sumner especially when the shines brightly
and the winds whistle in the trees around the
dwelling; and now, since his character is matured
he is sprghtly, happy, gentlemanly sort of a
bird. Boston Traveller.