Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-20

TEACHING BIRDS 70 SING.

a contributor to the Nursery writes
Last summer was at a trends house at
Nahant. l arose early In the morning.
and went down stairs to walk on the mag
"a. While there heard, as I thought.
some person whistling a tune in a yery
sweet style. l looked around, but could
see no one. Where could the sound come
from? looked Up and saw a little bird
In cage. The cage was hung in the
midst OF flowers and twining plants.
"Can it be" thought l, that such lit.
tie bird as that has been taught to sing q
regular tune so sweetly p" =
81 did not know what to make Of il.
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 bullfinch give us
Just one more tune" And then this dear
bird hoped about the cage, looked at his
mistress, and whstled another sweet tune
1t was so strange to hear bird whistle
regular tune!
Now, 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 sur
prise.
My friend then told me she had brought
the frd from the little town Of Fulda, in
Germany, where are little schools for
teaching these birds to sing. When
bulfinch has learned to sing two or three
tunes, he is worth from forty to sixty dol
lars, for he will bring that price In France
or England. m
Great skill and patience are needed 10
teach these birds. Few teachers can have
the time to give to the children under their
charge so much care as the bird-catchers
give to their bird pupils. 8E
The birds are put into classes Of abou,
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 have eaten their food, or when
they want more food, they will sing and
try to initiate the tunes they have just
heard. This tune they probably connect
with the usual act of feeding. As soon
as they begin to initiate few notes, the
light is let into the room, and this cheers
them on still more. and makes them
feel as if they would like to sing. In
some of these schools, the birds are allow
ed neither light nor food till they begin to
| sing. These arc the schools where teach
erS are more strict. Alter being thus
taught in classes, each bullfnch is put un-
der the care Of a boy, who plays his Or
gan from morning to night. while the
master or mistress of the bird school goes
round to see how the pupils are getting
| on.
The bulliinches seem to know at once
when they are scolded and when 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 education.
and are sent to England or France, and
sometimes to America to be sold
All animals, all birds, and all reptiles
even fishes-are susceptible of culture
and improvement. So are plants, roots
and fruits. And, above and beyond all,
are human beings capable of almost il.
limitable development, and Improvement.
both Of body and mind