The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-10
THE BoBoLfNK AND CANARIEs---
WAS 1T Alb INSTINCT

curious circumstance, quito aside from
the ordinary dictates Of instinct, occurred in
the case Of young bobolink in the family OF
Rev. j.. w. Turner, Of Great Harrington,
Mass. lie 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 10 December, until he was
permitted to share in the same cage the civ
ilities and sympathies OF his neighbors, tha
canNries who had been so ng'entcrtaning
him with their sweet and unwcaricd strains.
When admitted 20 the Same cage with them.
he tried most Rssiduourly 10 learn their song.
At hrst, however, for a long time with misor-
able success enough. lie would stand aud
watch them with an agony Of attention, and
then try to initiate their notes. He would
swell out his throat, ana stretch up his neck
as they did, and then with violent efIort,try
to sound ono note which, in spite of all his
zeal and labor, proved TO be a mere rough
scream. AT this humiliating failure,he would
be so provoked and enraged that he would
fly at his inoiensiye and weii-mea0ing mates
and teachers, and peck them most unmerci-
f1ii,, mud drive them frou, their perch. so
he did for three or four weeks, before any APP
parent progress was made IN his -t-dies,- Btt.
his perseverance, was equal 20 the difficulties
he had 10 overcome. At length he could
sound one note cell, and one only. And so
he continued for some six weeks longer;earn-
ing one note at time, till he had finally
completed the whole canary song aud could
sing it to perfection. Then he would sing 70
them in perfect harmony and perfect time.
always closing at tho exact note with them.
Ii is also little singular that, although;
through all this thraining, he was never
known to begin TO make a sound, till the ca
naries had FIRST struck the keynote, vet, after
he had acquired the skill to sing t4nir song,
he must always himself now give the signal
by significant cltck; when, instantly, the
canaries, generously forgetting or forgiving
his former inciyiitics, would strike in with
him. and perform the piece with the greatest
perfection, and with the highest delight to
themselves and the listening family, who en-
jjoycd this singular concert through tho car
! ly part day for the whole summer.
1t is also worthy of remark, that this sue
cessfu cssayist in foreign music, was never
known to utter a note, or attempt to utter
note in his native tongue till he had mastered
the canary, Then, aller few weeks, when
no found himself something of an ipdepen-
dent singer, and capable, as he thought, of
leading the choir, he at last zentured TO go
without the chorus and attempthis own ma
tive muiocy,- In his first attempts at tho solo,
it was most diverting TO hear him in confused
canary--till at length he was able to expel all
foreign elements from his style and sing only
the pure bobohnk.
Having now succeeded in this, he proposed
70 tie csparits to try the chorus again, and
gave the ''cluek," when the canaries, instant
to the sign, started of singing their own ma
4 tive seag.-But not so the botofink; he threw
himself on his Preserved rights. and sung
bobolink; and so they have continued to tho
present time, he singing bobolink, and they.
canary. And as he is the chorister, they be-
gin when he does, and end when he ends,
precisely at the saue instant
i When this bobolnk was frsteSaught, his
coorS were bright, beautiful black and
white. After molting, he, for some reason
not stated, never resumed his original spring
I rircss b,,t hes- continued the plain bpe~H,
like the female, now for two yearsi and sings
in the winter as well Ss in lAhe SUMMER, es-
pecially, when the sun shines brightly, and
the winds whistle ip the trees around the
dwelling; and now, since his character is ma
tured, he is . sprighily, happy, gcntlemanly
sort Of a bird Edr.h,r.