The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-07-06
Teaching Birds.

Few birds that are esteemed as pets
in household. says the New York
Times, sing their natural song. II they
did they wouldn't be so highly priced.
The canary, even, is trained to his
song, and the young bird is kept. by
the careful breeder, in the company of
only the best singers. So is the bull
finch, the starting, the blackbird and
others whose songs make them so valu-
able to dealers. So the song birds are
never taught to improve their songs in
this country. Dealers say it is because
we haven't men on this side of the At
lantic who will enter into competition
with the trainers in Germany The
Americanized foreigners find that this
business doesn't pay. So even those
who have been in the business in the old
world drop it when they come here
Yet, in small way. these trainers pur-
sue their vocation here to some extent
rather for recreation than remuneration.
These efforts, however, are directed
mainly to the training of speaking birds
like the parrot and magpie rather than
the songsters. There lives on Roosevelt
street an Alsatian who has accomplish
ed wonder in the training of COM
mon field robin. The bird was kept by
him in dark room with small music
box set to play only one tune, "My
Mary Ann" made popular by Harrigan
and Hart in one of their farces. A dozen
times day or more the music box
ground out this one tune. The owner
of the bird is good whistler and some
thing of a musician. At such odd hours
as he could get from his work he went
to the room where the bird was confined
and whistled the tune. Occasionally
he would take his violin to the room and
play "My Mary Ann" The robin heard
no music but this, and as consequence
in couple of months began to sing
this song. When he got so he could
whistle it from beginning to end his i'm
provement ceased. And now he sings
at intervals this plaintive air in rivalry
with the music-box, and much to the
delight of its owner. The initiative fac
ulty thus developed has clung to the
bird, who is now constantly picking up
new notes, and has perfected itself in
portion of one of the airs from "Fatin-
itza." 1t has also learned to speak
three French phrases, and has acquired
the habit of calling out in shrill whis-
tie, Jules" the name of its owners
son. Altogether it is famous bird,
and its owner will not part with it for
any amount of money The method
pursued by this Alsatian is that pursued
by all trainers in Europe who make the
education of song-birds speciality
The bulltinch is their favorite student.
because it learns the most readily, can
acquire two or three tunes and is a fay-
orite in the market. These trainers.
generally peasants, will fill darkened
room with cages of bullfinches, and teach
them by the use of what is known as a
bird-organ to whistle some particular
tune. The bird-organ is baby hand
organ. and plays only the one song the
teacher desires his scholars TO learn
This is ground out to them a dozen
times daily, and in month or two the
pupils are graduated, and apparently
revel in their education, abandoning
one. The violin or music-box is often |
substituted for the bird-organ, but one |
OF the three is always an accompani-
ment to the education of song bird. |
The young canary takes its schooling
from Its male parent, and young birds |
while IN training have no other educa-
ton than being confined in room with
a number of the best singers.