188 TEE ART OF TRAININO ANIMALS. 



Whatever the cage, the food and the shading are essential 

 points ; and the bird will often become familiar with his mistress^ 

 voice before the cover is removed, and he able to see her. After 

 the first day or two do not leave the seed tin always in the cage, 

 but take it away after each meal for a little while, taking the 

 opportunity of having a talk with the bird when you give it back, 

 and gradually bring the cage a little nearer to you as it gets 

 more tame. The water, of course, is always in the cage, and 

 this must not be understood to imply a starving system, the 

 only object in taking away the seed is to obtain the chance to 

 talk with him and make friends when you bring it back. A 

 single bird in a cage tames more quickly than when there are 

 two or thi-ee. 



A New York paper, speaking about the importation of canary 

 birds from Germany, says the following sight was seen in Flor- 

 ence, Italy, in 1861, by a lady and gentleman belonging in New 

 York. In walking in the principal street they overtook a man 

 with a long whip in his hand, which he was moving from one 

 side to the other in what they thought a strange manner. When 

 they came up with him they found he was driving a flock of 

 canary birds, as in England they drive a flock of turkeys. A 

 carriage came along, and ihe man waved his whip in a peculiar 

 manner, when the little birds all went to the sidewalk until the 

 carnage passed, when they took the street again. A woman 

 wanted to buy one, when the man sprinkled some canary seed at 

 his feet and half a dozen of them came to him, when he took one 

 up in his hand and delivered it to the woman, who paid him one 

 franc. The man then went on again. 



Elihu Eurritt, the learned blacksmith, gives an account of 

 Mr. Fox, of Tregedna, near Falmouth, England, who, by perse- 

 vering kindness, has won the affection of a large number of birds 

 — so much so that they fly to meet him when he calls them, and 

 hop about him, eating the crumbs with which his pockets are 

 well filled. When digging in his garden it is no common sight 

 to see little bh*ds hopping on the handle of the spade or rake used 

 by the gentleman, thus showing their confidence in him. Some- 

 times they enter his bedroom early in the morning, through the 

 window, and in their way call out, ^' It is time to get up.'^ On 

 Sunday, when Mr. Fox goes to his place of worship, some of the 

 birds are frequently seen to accompany him along the road chirp- 

 ing and singing all the way. 



The following is a new and approved method where it is 

 desired to tame birds in a very short time, and is applicable to 

 all kinds of cage birds, provuig efficacious in one or two hours : 

 A portion — larger or smaller in proportion to the wildness of the 



