The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-05

The BoBoLINK AND THE CANARIxs.--A writer
in the Boston Traveller gives account of curl
Gus affair which occurred in the case of q young
bobolink in the family of Rev. ]. w. Turner, OF
Great harrington, Mass. He was Gagged at first
apart from 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 civil
tiles and sympathies Of his neighbors, the cana /.
res, who had been so long entertaining him with
their sweet and unwesried strains.
When admitted to the same cage with them,
he tried most assiduousy to 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 nota,
which. in spite of all his zeal and labor, proved
to be a mere rough scream. At this humiliating
failure, he would be no provoked and enraged,
that he would fly at his inoffensive and wellmean-
ing mates and teachers, and peck them most un-
mercifully, and drive them from their perch. So
he did for three or four weeks, before any appar-
ant progress 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 a time, ill
he had finally completed the whole canary song
and could sing it to perfection Then he would
sing with them in perfect harmony and perfect
time, always closing at the exact note with them.
1t is also little singular that although, through
all this training, he never known to begin to
make sound till the cannries had first struck the
keynote, yet, after he had acquired the skill to
sing their song, he must always himself now
give the signal by significant ciMck; when, in
stantly the canaries, generously forgetting or for
giving his former nciviites, would strike in with
him, and perform the piece with the greatest per-
f~ct ,.x.sb H. 81, ~ a.
selves and the listening family, who enjoyed this
singular concert through the early part of every
day for the whole summer.
II is also worthy of remark, that this successful
essayist in foreign music, was never knowA to
utter note, or to attempt to utter note in his
native tongue, till he had mastered the canary.
Then, after few weeks, when he found himself
something of an independent singer, and capable,
he thought, Of leading the choir, he at last
ured to go without the chorus and attempt his
own native melody. In his first attempts at the
solo, it was most diverting to hear him in con-
fused notes-part his native bobolink, and rart
in canary-tlll at length he was able to expel all
foreign elements from his style and sing only the
pure boboink.
Having now succeeded in this, he proposed to
the canaries to try the chorus again, and gave the
"cuck," when the canarIes, instant to the sign,
started off singing their own native song. But
not so the bohonk; he threw himself on his ere
served rights, and sung bobolink; he singing bo-
bolink, and they canary. And he is the Choir
ister they begin when he does, and end when he
ends, precisely at the same instant.
When this bobohnk was first caught, his oors
were bright, beautiful black and white. After
melting, he, for some reason not stated, never re-
sumed his original spring dress, but has conlin-
ued the plain brown, like the female, now for two
years; and sings in the winter as well as in the
summer, especially when the sun shines brightly
and the winds whistle in the trees around the
dwelling; and now, since his characters matured
he is "a sprighty, happy, gentlemanly sort of a
bird.