The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-15
BIRD TRAINING.
A Regular Avooation Among the
Germans.
The Little Feathered Creatures Taught
to Perform Many Difficult and
Amusing Tricks-Au Odd
Occupation.

The Holland bird-catching in autumn
is IL regular business, and huts are built
among the sandhills, or in the meadows
joining them, in which the men can sit
in comfort says the st. Louis Mechanic.
A small window on one side looks on
to the ''vinliic baan," the level space be-
tween low banks under which the nets
lie, where linnets and sisllins arc
tethcred to long twigs. The ground is
strewed with grain, and ut IL little dis
lance tho best call-birds are placed in
their cages. Goldfinches are most
priced, for they constantly utter their
ripping song, but a redpole or we'll
trained chatfinch is almost equally good.
Holland lies on two of the main
routes by which birds travel from the
north, for those that come down the
Baltic cross the land at Denmark,
while along the German ocean travc,
thousands from Norway and Sweden.
The mainstay of the bird-catchers are
the hen chaffinches, which leave their
mates in Scandinavia and come in thou
sands to southern Europe. Two hum
dred in day is not at all an unusual num-
Der to be taken at one ''vinllic baan"
These are all killed for the table, and
in split hazel stick, like cartridges in
n game carrier, arc seen in every poul-
tcrer's shop. The rarcr birds-bramb-
lings, cross-bills and redpoles = are
saved and sold for cagc-birds, for the
Dutch are particularly fond of aviaries,
and clever at tanning all kinds of crea-
lures.
The writer has often spent an after
noon in the hut watching for the pass
ing of fiocks of chaffinchcs. The tame
birds begin to call when they sec the
wild ones passing, the men whistle and
pull the strings to which the birds are
attached, and as they futter from the
ground the flock wheel, settle in the
trees close by, and then fly down to the
grain. Hardly have they pitched before
the nets close over them, and the man
runs out TO disentangle his captivcs.
The tame birds are SO used to the nets
that they do not futter or ruilc n
feather, but jump back to their twigs,
eat some more hcmpsecd, and sing
afresl, without regarding the death of
their wild relatives.
Redpoles, linnets and sisllins are
easily tanned. especially the first In a
tented with Il cage life. In fact, | knew
of one which voluntarily surrendered
its liberty. The winter was n severe
one, and the little fellow came in
through the open window of house at
The Hague to share their food with the
birds in n large aviary. Their mistress
fed him regularly, and, though he had
often an opportunity of escaping, he
never availed himself of it, but lived
for years the merriest occupant of the
cage.
These birds can be taught to sit mo-
tionless on the back of n chair, to- ''lic
dead in IL basin of water, to draw up
their food in an ivory bucket, in few
days; but the trainer must be prepared
to give them long lessons. Birds minds
differ entirely from those of animals;
they do not learn gradually, and if they
are to be trained they must be so most
thoroughly. An hour day for week
will not have one-quarter the effect that
four hours of continuous care will
achieve. 1t is this fact that causes SO
many disappointments in training
hawks, for men certainly become tired
and impatient at the moment when
their labor has begun to produce some
effect. The hawk is put back on his
block, and in day has forgotten the
half-learned lesson. In Holland hawks
arc still caught when on their autumn
migration, for the line of flight passes,
as it has done from time immemorial,
over tho great heath of Valkens-
ward, in North Drabant.