New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-03
nv CONSERVATORY CANARY
BY RUTH EVERETT

H'iiSH tlNN Suoulu not sing. 20 MIR. Chop
note is Immediately taken out and sold as
cheap trash, without any guaranty, for any
price he will bring.
rs soon as the birds have mastered the
flute tones Hans takes his violin. and while
walking slowly along plays and listens to
his pupils, that he may detect mistakes and
correct them. He plays on two strings at a
time, from which he can draw full, harmOni-
GUS chords And now mind YOU, those little
goldcn-throatS in their sombcr prisons will
reproduce those chords, They actually sing
two notes at a timc
During the time given TO violin lessons
the birds are not permitted 90 forget their
flute notes. They get two or three turns at
them each day. When his pupils have mas
tered the tones of the flute and violin Hans
begins his instructions with the bells.
y series of the finest toned silver bells are
placed in a box or closet and kept ringing,
half an hour at a time, four or five times a
day The object of putting the bells in
box or closet IS 10 give the birds tones the
effect of chimes at a distance. and the birds
do produce these sounds most perfectly
The tull IS one of the most difficult things
for the birds TO master; vet in few weeks
Hans will have his birds thrilling as no human
voice can. Nor need these birds trill on one
note. They change from one note to an
other. trilling all the while My pet, in his
trills. dwcNs on one note or more for such a
length of time that | fairly hold my breath
IN amazed questioning as to how all that
continuous music can come out of one little
throat.
Hans uses both the violin and the flute TO
teach the trill. Trilling, flute notes. violin,
and bells having been mastered does not
gain for the birds gilt cage and an admiring
audience; for Hans insists upon their learn
ing the babbling brook water song and also
that OF the nightingale.
Every bird that gets a diploma from Hans
must sing at night. No matter how late
YOU keep the lights burning or at what hour
YOU switch on the clectrics, Pet IS ever
ready TO burst forth into song.
TT l am blue, many things having gone
L wrong during the day, the songs of my
yellow beauty seem to say, "Checr up.
You have health and mc-many people
have less
1t was difficult to tame my pet; because,
before owned him. ne had never been han
died. When | FIRST used 10 catch him he
would peck at me, and his little heart ilut-
tered dreadfulv. Aftcr such a handling,
when / would put him back in his cage, he
would sometimes ball himself together on
the floor and seem really sick all the rest Of
the day.
BY Slow degrees he came to understand
that meant him no harm, and now he needs
but one invitation to hop to my finger and
let me thus carry him whithcrsoevcr | will.
In that position ne will 60 through his en-
tire repertoire. When he gets TO the end he
expects his pay; which titbit consists Of
four hemp seeds.
Be careful how you give your birds hemp
seeds. The little fellows love them dearly;
but they are very fattening. \ female bird
who gets too many hemp seeds will get 50
fat that she cannot lay her eggs. And be
careful how YOU handle your birds. \
canary bird is such little thing that hold
which YOU would not consider too tight
might kill it.