192 THE AET OF TRAINING ANIMALS. 



copy them, and will finally succeed if both teacher and pupil 

 possess the requisite talent. Canaries are capable of learning 

 two or more distinct tunes. The tunes must be taught bit by 

 bit and each piece thoroughly mastered before advancing farther. 

 A flute is the best musical instrument to use. If desired that 

 the bird should learn the song of another bird, a good singer of 

 that variety may be placed near its cage. The weavers of 

 Cheshire, England, are noted for possessing canaries of rare mu- 

 sical ability, who are the descendants of birds originally taught 

 by a nightingale ; the young birds of each successive genera- 

 tion learnbag the song of their parents. Loss of voice, which 

 in the male is sometimes the consequence of molting, may be 

 cured by feeding with a little lettuce seed. 



Some years ago, for several days a pure canary attracted 

 considerable attention while hanging in the publication office of 

 the New York Tribune, on account of his singing Hail Colum- 

 bia, and other patriotic airs, without mistake or loss of a single 

 note. 



If it is desired to teach a canary to whistle, it should be re- 

 moved from its companion when about two weeks old, at which 

 time it will be able to feed and also to begin to twitter. The 

 pupil is put in a small cage, which should be at first covered 

 with a linen cloth, and aftsrward with something thicker. A 

 short air should then be either whistled or played on a flute or 

 bird organ within its hearing, five or six times a day, especially 

 in the morning and evening, and repeated on each occasion half 

 a dozen times. In from two to six months, according to the 

 memory and docility of the bird, it will have acquired its lesson 

 perfectly. Unless this training is commenced when the bird is 

 very young it is likely to mar its performance by intermixuig 

 parts it has learned from the parent bird. 



Though the natural song of the bullfinch, including both 

 sexes, is harsh and disagreeable, very much like the creaking of 

 a door or wheelbarrow, they may be taught to whistle many airs 

 and songs in a soft, pure, flute-like tone, and are capable of re- 

 membering two or three difi"erent tunes. They are best in- 

 structed by means of a flute or by the whistling of the teacher, 

 Slow learners do not, during the molting season, lose so quickly 

 what they have acquired as those who learn more readily. 

 The bullfinch will also learn the songs of other birds, but usu 

 ally this is not considered desirable. 



In Germany great attention is paid to the training of these 

 birds, which is made a regular profession. "We are indebted to 

 Dr. Stanley for the following description of the mode pursued-: 



" No school can be more diligently attended by its master, 



