242 PIPING BULLFINCHES. 



their education begins ; and no school can be more 

 diligently superintended by its master, and no scholars 

 more effectually trained to their own calling,' than a 

 seminary of Bullfinches. They are formed first into 

 classes of about six in each and after having been 

 kept a longer time than usual without food, and confined 

 in a dark room, the tune they are to learn is played 

 over and over again on a little instrument called a bird- 

 organ, the notes of which resemble as nearly as possible 

 those of the Bullfinch. For a time, perhaps, the mo- 

 ping birds will sit in silence, not knowing what to make 

 of these proceedings, but after a while they will one by 

 one begin to imitate the notes they hear. As soon as 

 they do this, light is admitted into the room, and they 

 are allowed a small supply of food. By degrees, the 

 sound of the organ, and the circumstance of being fed, 

 become so associated, that the hungry bird is sure to 

 imitate the notes as soon as it hears them. They are/ 

 then turned over to the care of boys, whose sole busi- 

 ness it is to go on with their education, each boy having 

 a separate bird placed under his charge, who plays away 

 from morning to night, or at least, for as many hours 

 as the birds can pay attention, during which time their 

 first teacher or feeder goes his regular rounds, scolding 

 or rewarding his feathered scholars, by signs and modes 

 which he has taught them to understand, till they be- 

 come so perfect, and the tune, whatever it may be, so 

 imprinted on their memory, that they will pipe it for 

 the remainder of their lives. But though the greater 

 number may be taught their tune, few only, not above 

 five in a hundred, possibly can be so correctly taught as 

 to pipe in perfect harmony; and these, of course, fetch 

 a much higher price than the rest. 



Whether from the early habit of associating the utter- 

 ance of their notes with the agreeable addition of a 

 meal, or from some particular pleasure they feel in sing- 

 ing, we know not, but it so happens that singing and 

 satisfaction generally go together in Bullfinches; for a 



