New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-22
How Birds are Taught 10 Sing.

Each kind of bird sings its own peculiar
notes, but all may be taught to sing regular
tunes. The knocking bird and thrush sing
regular tunes without training. But, by reg
ular education, other birds may become fine
performers. A contributor to the Nursery
says:
Last summer was ut friends house at
Nahant. l rose early in tho morning and
went down stairs to walk on the piazza.
While there heard, as thought, some per-
son whistling tune in very sweet style.
! looked around, but could see no one.
Where could the sound come from? looked
up and saw little bird in a cage. The cage
was hung in the midst Of flowers and twining
plants.
"Can it be-" thought 1, "that such little
bird as that has been taught to sing a resu-
lar tune so sweetly."
l did not know what to make of it. When
my friend came down stairs she told me that
it was the little bird who had whistled the
bird, "Come Bully, Bully, sweet little bull
finch, 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 strange 10 hear
bird whistle a regular tune!
snow, Bully" said my friend, "you must
give us Yankee Doodle Come, come, you
shall have some nice fresh seed if you will
whistle Yankee DOODLE" And the little
thing did whistle it, much to my surprise.
My friend then toldme that she had brought
the bird from the little town of Fulda, in Ger
many, where there are little schools for teach
ing these birds to sing. When 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.
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 the bird-teachers give to
their bird-pupls.
The birds are put into classes Of about six
each, and kept for time in dark room.
Here, when the food is given to them, they
are made to hear music, so that when they
more food, they will sing, and try to initiate
the tune they have just heard. This tune
they probably connect with the act of feed
ing. AS soon as they begin to initiate a 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 allowed neither
light nor food till they begin to sing. These
are the schools where the teachers are more
strict.
After being thus taught in classes, each
bullfinch is put under the care of boy, who
plays his organ from morning till night, while
the master or mistress of the bird school goes
round to see how the pupils are getting on.
The bullinch seems to know at once when
they are scolded and when they are praised
| by their master or mistress and they like to
be pettcd when they have done well. The
training goes on for nine months, and then
the birds have got their education and are
sent to England or to France, and sometimes
to America to be sold.
All animals, all birds, and all reptiles
even fshes-are susceptible Of culture and
Improvement So are plants, roots, and
fruits. And, above and beyond all, are hui
man beings capable of almost illimitable de-
velopments, both of body and mind.