Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-06-24
III uuADa MN SING.
Mr.. ndkards' Prescription for HvoIv-
Ing Melody from Recaicitrant
Binds.


'sIf any one has a canary bird that
wont sing, said Mr.. William Edwards,
II cAn give him a prescription that
never knew 10 fail in making bird
first-tlsss warbler"
Mr. Edwards is the naturalist who has
been mentioned heretofore in connection |
with experiments having in view the
possible domestication Of the alligator in |
Sheepshead Bay. Il
''ln the case Of this prescription,
continued MIR. Edwards. at is the bird
that IL to be well shaken before taking
instead Of the medicine. discovered
II In this way: Our canary bird Dick is
Eve years old, and when his notes were
due, after careful bringing up. he
failed TO utter q sound. We waited
reasonable length Of time, and as he did
not show any inclination to sing, we
looked on the time and care that we had
bestowed upon him as entirely thrown
away. Ifhe hadn't been such q hand
some bird he would have been disposed
Of at once, but his style kept him in the
smily. He was housed in a pretty
brass cage, and received more attention
than be deserved, as we then thought.
about q year ago Dicks cage was
hanging in an upper story window one
day, and from some cause 1t fell to the
ground below. When the cage was
picked up it was found that one of the
birds legs was broken. We were about
to put Dick out Of his misery, when o
lady who lived near us interfered. She
said she could make him as good as new,
which we didn't think was doing much,
. whom he was new Dick wasn't inven-
toried very high by us. The lady took
him, however, and splintered the broken
leg. For three weeks Dick lay on the
bottom of his cage as patient as could
be. He took his rations with discourag-
ing regularity and relish, and one day
hoped up on his perch as pert and fresh
- II he had just returned from long
vacation In the country.
"But he was as mute as q mummy.
His style was as handsome as ever,
though, and he paraded it to its full
capacity. About three weeks after
coming ont Of the hospital, Dicks apart
ments were again hanging from the same
window, and once again tumbled to the
ground. The limb that had been 90
carefully doctored aud nursed before
was again broken. We splintered 1t as
previously, and in short time brought
The bird around once more. The day
that he resumed his position on his
perch will never be forgotten in our
family. He jumped to his place, cooked
his eye around the room as II to see
whether We were all present, straight
ened himself up, stretched out his neck,
and-well, talk about canary bird
sinRing. He filled that room with
unheard- of notes, and sent them ringing
out Of the windows until they penetrated
the whole neighborhood, and set every
bird there was within quarter Of q mile
TO singing at pitch that threatened the
splitting Of all the feathered throats that
part Of the city contained. Sing Z Why,
be wouldn't stopl He kept it up right
along all day, and woke up in the night
10 put ia . bar or two that he'd forgot
ten 70 execute before. l guess all the
music that had been pent up in his soul
for the previous four years got away from
him that day and night. But if it did
be filed up again right away. for Dick
has never been unable to provide an
abundant supply Of it ever since.
"You see, that bird had simply been
stubborn al his life. He could have
besn singing for four years II he'd want
cd 10, and be knew il, but he'd made up
his mind that he'd take It easy and put
ON style When the cage fell out Of the
wisdow with him the first time he did
mot think 20 much about it, but when il
dropped the second time he began to
wake up to what he believed the true ait.
a e.. Al L :
was dropped out Of the window because
he wouldn't sing, and two trips was all
he wanted. He made up his mind the
second time that il be ever got around
again he'd sing till he made things hum.
and he did.
That's my prescription for making
canary birds sing when they won't sing,
and ! have no reason to believe that II
won't wsrk to . charm every time, il
used according to directions.