CHAPTER II 



BIRDS IN TRAINING 



WE do not hear so much about trained birds 

 as we do about educated beasts, but it is quite 

 possible to teach birds to do things which are 

 either useful or amusing, and some very 

 wonderful things have been done, and still 

 are done, in the way of bird training. 



The British bird one most often sees trained 

 to do tricks is the redpoll, a little bird of the 

 finch kind, smaller than the sparrow, and not 

 uncommon with us in some parts of the 

 country. The trick he is usually made to 

 learn is that of fetching his food and water 

 by pulling up a truck and a bucket. The cage 

 is arranged with a slanting board at one end 

 on which the truck runs, and a glass at the 

 other into which the tiny bucket drops. When 

 the bird wants seed or water, he takes hold of 

 the string attached to the bucket or truck 



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