202 THE ART OF TEAINING ANIMALS. 



are all maintamed by birds, and the action of the scene very 

 cleverly represeoted. There is however a little trickery in this, 

 the birds, although apparently acting without human agency, 

 are in reality constantly under the direction of their trainer, 

 who is usually concealed from the audience. Each bird is care- 

 fully instrucied in his particular duties, and performs his pan 

 at certain signals or particular commands. While performing, 

 the tramer carefully " works '' the performers, keeps them u^;. 

 to then* duties, and thus makes everything pass off smoothly in 

 its regular order. 



The method of training is merely an elaboration of what we 

 have already given. The birds are first made perfectly tame, 

 and then gradually encouraged to perform such little tricks as 

 jumping over the trainer's finger, seizing articles presented to 

 them with their beak or claw, and other trifles. By-and-by the 

 bird will wheel a little pasteboard wheelbarrow with the aid of 

 a string attached to the handles, which he takes in his beak. 

 Another bird is taught to take things in his claw by first hav- 

 ing articles of food presented to him which he is only allowed 

 to have when he takes them in that manner. Then some other 

 article is offered him and when he takes tliat in like manner he 

 is rewarded. When he will take an article at the command of 

 the trainer all that is required for his performance is that the 

 article desired should be offered him j thus the bird will take a 

 miniature basket, gun, or any other article with equal readiness. 

 A small lighted candle may even be used if managed carefully. 



When a bird has learned to pull a string, or seize v/ith his 

 beak what is presented to his notice, this accomplishment may 

 be applied to many tricks, apparently very different. He may 

 be made to fire off a pistol by pulling a string attached to the 

 trigger ; to draw a little bucket from a diminutive well 5 to ring 

 bells ; and an almost nnlimited number of like actions. Walk- 

 ing on a tight rope, or wire, and carrying a little flag is readily 

 accomplished after the foregoing training. The bird is either 

 lifted or guided upon the rope, and the flag then given him. 

 Many tricks consist in the bird merely retaining a position 

 given him, as in a little swing, cradle or at a little table. A 

 very tame bird may be placed in an upright ring, around the 

 margin of which are candles or jets of fire. There was a 

 sparrow at one exhibition which performed the seemingly won- 

 derful feat of selecting from a shufltled pack, a card previously 

 chosen by any of the audience. A dirty pack of cards was 

 handed to one of the company, who selected a card, and gave 

 it back to the exhibitor, who shuflled the pack after replacing 

 the card j he then put the pack upright in a kind of card-case, 



