The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-04

| crude notes in imitation Of the music.
Light is then gradually allowed to en-
ter the room, thus increasing the hap
piness of the singers. and they break
! forth into ecstatic song. The music is
continued all day, and the enthusiastic
birds try to follow and initiate it until
fairly exhausted by their efforts
This is the preparatory school; and
after each class of six has spent some
time here. the several birds are handed
over to training-boys whose business it
is to continue their instruction. The
advanced pupils are taken into separate
rooms where organs are played from
early morning and night The organs
used are ordinary organs that have soft,
pure. fute-like notes, with nothing
harsh or disagreeable in the sound.
Some birds are trained by means of
the flute, but in the larger establish
ments small organs are commonly
| used.
Everything is done for the birds hap
piness. and the little creatures are kept
in the best of spirits. The owner
comes around every day or two to ex-
anime his pupils. So well does he I'M
derstand the natures of the little singers
ones in a manner that they perfectly
understand. This training goes on for
eight or nine months, when the birds
are ready for their diplomas. II their
voices have acquired firmness, and they
do not forget or leave out passages in
their songs, they pass examination,
and are permitted to leave the singing
school There are different grades
of pupils in these bird seminaries,
as in every other large school,
and. while the majority can re-
member only simple air with short
prelude, there are some intelligent
ones that can be taught to whistle as
many as three different airs, without
spelling or confusing them Such
bright birds are often kept longer in
the seminary, and postgraduate
course is given them.
In this course they are taught to
initiate the songs of other birds, which
they do to PROJECTIONS; but care is taken
to preserve their memory of the early
education. They are also taught
amusing tricks, which increase their
value as performers. The birds from
these German seminarieS are distrib-
uteG all over the country, and are sold
for good prices. Sometimes on first
being taken from their seminary
home the bullfinch becomes gloomy
and quiet, and refuses TO sing. This is
an important period in his life, and the
new owner should at first occasionally
play the air that the bird has been &C
customed to hear on the organ. This
will cheer the captive's dropping cour-
age, and start it into song once more.
These bullfinches begin their train
ing about four days after they are out
of the shell, and are not dismissed I'M
til nearly years instruction has per-
fected their voices. Like the parrot,
they are very attentive, and they will
parents if allowed to remain with them
many days. They never pipe until
they can feed themselves, and then
they are given correct piping to
initiate. A high, pure, manly whistle
will be responded to by them in a full,
round, flute-like tone. Bullfinches
brought up carelessly soon acquire bad
habits in their singing, but those sent
from the German singing schools very
rarely offend in this way. They carry
their diplomas with them, and they do
nxedit to their instructors