Evening star., 1898-07-16
bors only by teaching different tune to

bors only by teaching different tune to
different bird.
In Germany the young bullfinches are
first taught by the strains of reed organ.
They are placed in a dark room, while the
trainer plays on a small organ by the hour.
The birds have this drilled into them so
thoroughly that when they do pipe, they
strike the right note every time. The flute
is also used extensively now by trainers,
and 1t is a successful substitute for the
whistle. The music formerly taught by the
trainers was of the old style German
hymns; but today nearly all of the bull
fnches are taught to pipe the popular
songs, operas and waltzeS.
Prices for bullffnches vary also according
to their accomplishments. Ordinary tanned,
but unframed. bullffnches can be purchased
in New York from So to s.. but those that
are taught to pipe sell for considerably
more. They are classified according to the
number of tunes they have acquired. Thus
a bulltinch that has mastered only part of
a tune sells from $40 to S25, but one that
pipes the whole of tune without an error
easily commands from $25 to $30 and
bird of two tunes is worth from $3S to 500.
Extra fine bullfinches that pipe several
tunes. and have remarkably sweet tones,
bring as much as S75 to $1OO in this coun-
try.
NightingaIes and LarIxs.
The song-bfrd dealers import many other
gay singers to make life pleasant In our
homes. The English nightingale Is import
ed in fair numbers, and brings from $15 to
s25 apiece. Thsre is a great difference In
the singing of the nightingale, as in all
other birds, and only those that have been
carefully reared and trained meet the re-
quirements of ths modern trade, notwith-
standing their reputation for natural sing
ing. Defects appear in some Of the birds
which cannot be remedied for several sue
cessive generations. The Pskin nightingale
is less desirable singer, but 1t has Ger
tain popularity as a cage bird. Consider
able numbers of them are brought to this
country and sold by the dealers from S to
SO apiece. But they are not trained as the
canaries and bulIfnches.
Other song-birds found in one of the east
side aviaries or importing bird stores, are
the German chaffinch, the English skylark,
the English starting, siskin, woodlark and
European thrush. Prices for these in the
retail trade may serve TO show the value
attached to the different kinds of singers.
The best German chaff1nches can be pur-
chased from So to $40; English skylarks.
from 50 to S12; English starings from SO
to $40, according to the number of tunes
they can pipe; English woodlarks, from 81
to S15, and European thrushes, from s. to
SIS.
Native song-Birds.
Native song-bfrds are almost as much in
demand as the imported and every large
bird store deals in most of our prominent
singers adapted to cage life. Our southern
mocking bird, for instance, which rivals the
English nightingale in the variety and
brilliancy of it's song, sells all the way
from 50 to $50 apiece. Cage boholinks are
worth from 81 to 3; tanned robins, from 81
to -; the southern redbird OF Virginia
nightingale, from s. to So; the inimttable
brown thrasher or thrush, from 50 to IS;
and linnets, from 81 to s.. These native
birds are rarely trained. They whistle or
Narble the wild tunes of the forest, and
these possess a certain flavor of spon-
tareous music that is often more gratifying
to the hearers than the most elaborate tune
OF the cultivated Campanini or st. Andreas-
berg canary.