Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-01
LOVE FOR ANIMALS AND BIRDS
Competitions Of English Golfers
and Their Feathered Pets.

ROM I~oHOoH III BIS
The Golfers love for animals and birds
is proverbial. He flies his pigeons. he
races his whippets. Shows his cats and
his guinea-p:gs, and subjects his chickens
to egg-layins competitions
Very important are the ''lark-snging
competitions of the various lark clubs.
These clubs are well organized, and the
whole of the fixtures for the year are
arranged and published with all the care
shown by a league foot ball club.
When passing along the street on a
fine Saturday morning one may occasion
ally see two or more poles projecting
from the upper windows of Il public
house, from which are suspended ten or
dozen shining copper kettles. This is
done to inform all whom it may concern
that there is to be lafk-singing contest
at that place in the afternoon, and that
the kettles VIII be borne home by the
owners Of the successful. birds
You could spend a pleasant afternoon
watching the contest. For an hour or
SO before the competition starts the Own
ers of the birds will be arriving with
their pets. The birds are carried in lit
tie cages carefully wrapped in an Opaque
black wrapper for by all the tenets of
the lark-fanciers' catechism, they must
be kept in perfect darkness from the
time they leave home until the actual
time of singing arrives. As the Compel
itors increase IN number the converse
ton becomes more animated, and the
points and pecularities Of many birds
are discussed.
At last the time arrives and the judge
takes his seat in the singing room. The
birds are brought in one at a time. from
an adjoining room, the little cage is hung
UP on a hook in the wall, the black COW
ering Is removed. and the bird is left to
please itself whether it sings or not. \
few minutes is allowed for the bird to
make up Its mind, the time varying with
different clubs IL after the expiration
of the limit the bird has not started, the
cage is taken down from the wall and
again wrapped in its black covering.
Bird number two is put ND and may inn
mediately break forth into a torrent of
song; a sudden stop. few subdued notes
are just audible. the song breaks forth
again a little firing to the ear. perhaps,
but beautifully clear. the song waivers
and comes to stop; the judge is care
fully noting the hands of his watch. Two
silent minutes go by. Time" calls the
Judge. and the bird is again wrapped
up. Seven and quarter minutes Of
song.
The birds follow one another with vary
ing success: some sulk and won't sing a
note, while others are wonderfully
''plucky" and sing as heartily as their
open air relations on the moors. AT the
end. when the last bird sings its song
and is covered in its black cloth every
body awaits the judges award.
The results are read out, and as each
successful competitor receives his prize he
is heartily applauded
The Lancashire lark fancier is won
derful enthusiast, and will dilate upon the
merits Of his birds for hours. One he
will tell you, is a mine minute bird"
but has no heart: strange room upsets
It. and 1t Ia Of no use for competition
purposes; but ne will tell you that it is
"a champion at bringing others on
Another Is plucky. but its song is too
short: and SO on, through about half
a dozen, each in its own little cage
hung around the Golfers kitchen. Then
the fanciers better half will be anxious
to show all the trophies, not kettles only
there is sure to be q prepon-
derance Of them-but silver-plated cruet
stands. perhaps a silver teapot and othse