Year: 1873

Each kind of bird sings its own pecu-
liar note, but all may be taught to sing
regular tunes. The mOcking bird and
thrush Learn tunes without training. But,
by regular education, other birds may
become fine performers. A contributor
to the Nursery says:


Last summer | was at friend house
at Nahant | rose early in the morning,
and went down stairs to walk on the pi-
azza. While there | heard, as l thought,
some person whistling tune in very
sweet style. looked around, but could
see no one. Where could the sound come
from? L looked up and saw little bird
in a cage The cage was hung in the
midst of flowers and twining plants


''Can it be- thought l, that such a
little bird as that has been taught to sing
a regular tune so sweet?"


| did not know what to make of it,
When my friend came down stairs she
told me that it was the little bird who had
whistled the sweet tune. Then my friend
cried out to the bird, "Come' Bully,
Bull, sweet little bull-fnch, give us one
more tune And then this dear little bird
hoped about the cage, looked at its mis-
treSS, and whistled another sweet tune. 1t
was so strange to hear bird whistle a
regular tunei


Now, Bully" said my friend, "you
must give US Yankee Doodle. Come
come, you shall have some nice fresh seed
if you will whistle Yankee Doodle. y
And the little thing did whistle it, much
to my surprise.


My friend then told me that she had
brought the bird from the little town of
Fulda, in Germany, where there are little
schools for teaching these birds to sing
When bull-fnch has learned to sing two
or three tunes, he is worth from $40 to
$50, for he will bring that price in France
or England


Great skill and patience are needed to
teach these birds. Few teachers can have
the time to give to the children under
their charge so much care as the bird
teachers give to their bird pupils


The birds are put into classes of about
six each, and kept in dark room for
time. Here, when their food is given to
them, they are made TO hear music,
so that, when they have eaten
their food, or when they want more
food, they will sing and try to initiate the
tune they have just heard. This tune
they probably connect with the act of
feeding. As soon As they begin to imi-
tate few notes the light is let into the
room, and this cheers them still more,
and makes them feel as if they would like
to sing. In some of these schools the
birds are allowed neither light nor food
till they begin to sing. These are the
schools where the teachers are most strict


After being thus taught in classes,
each bull-fnch is put under the care of a
boy, who plays his organ from morning
till night, while the master or mistress of
the school goes round to see how the pu-
pills are getting on.


The bull-inches seem to know at once
when they are scolded and when they are
praised by their master or mistress; and
they ike to be petted when they have
done we'll


The training goes on for nine months;
and then the birds have got thels educa-
ton and sent to England or France, and
sometimes to America, to be sold.
All animals, all birds, and all reptiles
even fshes-are susceptible of culture, and
improvement. So are plants, roots, and
fruits. And above and beyond all are hui
man beings capable of almost illimitable
developments both of body and mind.