The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-06-19
singing scbooI For birds,

OAn ms SOhAOOA " LII 0s'
There is such school as this, and |
very good scholars it makes. They |
cannot read or write, but they can
sing. They sing a few simple notes,
like the small linnets you may hear in
the fields; but after they are taught
they will whistle regular tunes.
Last summer l was at a friends |
house at Nahant. rose early in the
morning, and went down stairs to walk
on the piazza. While there ] heard, as l
thought, some person whistling tune
in very sweet style. 1 looked around,
but could see no one. Where could the
sound come FRONT l looked up and
saw a little bird in cage. The cage
was hung in the midst of flowers aud
twining plants. "Can it be" thought ],
'fhat such little bird as that has been
taught to sing a regular tune SO
sweetlyl" ! did not know what to
make of it. When my friend came
down stairs she told me that it was
indeed the little bird who had whistled
the sweet tune. Then my friend cried
out to the bird, "Come, Bully, Bully,
sweet little Bullfnch, give us just one
more tune" And then this dear little
bird hoped about the cage, looked at
its mistress, and whistled another sweet
tune. 1t was SO strange to hear a
bird whistle a regular tune SNOW
Bully" said my friend, "you must
lgive us Yankee Doodle Come,
come, you shall have some nice fresh
seed if you will whistle 'Yonkee Doc
de- And the little thing did whistle
it much to my surprise. ''rr ia ''s q
NY friend then told me that she had
brought the bird from the little town
of Funda, in Germany, where there
are little schools for teaching these
birds to sing. When a bullfnch has
Learned to sing two or three tunes he
is worth from forty to sixty dollars;
/ for he will bring that price in France
or England. 4 Great skill and patience
are needed to teach these birds. Few
teachers can have the time to give to
the children under their charge so
much care as these bird teachers give
to their bird pupils. The birds are
put into classes Of about six each, and
| kept for some time in a dark room.
Here, when their food is given them,
they are made to hear music, 30 that
when they have eaten their food or
when they want more food, they viii
sing, and try to initiate the tune they
have just heard. This tune they prob
ably connect with the act of feeding.
As soon as they begin to initiate few
notes, the light is let into the room, and
this cheers them still more and makes
them feel as though they would like to
sing. In some of these schools, the
birds are not allowed either light OF
food till they begin to sing, These are
the schools where the teachers are
most strict After being thus taught
in classes, each bullfnch is put under
the care of boy, who plays his or
gan from morning till night while the
master or mistress of the bird school
goes round to see low the pupils are
getting on. The bullGnches seem to
know at once when they are scolded,
and when they are praised by their
master or mistress; and they like to be
petted when they have done well.
The training goes on for nine months
and then the birds have got their edu-
cation, and are sent to England OF
France, and sometimes to America to
be sold.-Ihe Nursery.