How it is taught to pipe. 1 03 



who, by care and attention, so completely tames them that 

 they become perfectly docile and obedient. At the expiration 

 of about a couple of months, they first begin to whistle, from 

 which time their education begins, and no school can be more dili- 

 gently superintended by its master, and no scholars more effectu- 

 ally trained to their own calling, than a seminary of bull-finches. 

 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 to 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 bull-finch ; sometimes, also, a flageolet is used for this 

 purpose, and birds so taught are said to have the finer notes. 

 For awhile the little moping creatures will sit in silence, 

 not knowing what all this can mean ; but after awhile one 

 by one will begin to imitate the notes they hear, for they 

 have great power of imitation as well as remarkably good 

 memories. As soon as they have said their lesson all round, 

 light is admitted into the room, and they are fed. 



"By degrees the sound of the. musical instrument — be 

 it flageolet or bird-organ — and the circumstance of being fed, 

 oecome so associated in the mind of the hungry bird, that it is 

 sure to begin piping the tune as soon as it hears it begin to 

 play. When the little scholars have advanced so far they are 

 put into a higher class, that is to say, are turned over each to 

 his private tutor ; in other words, each bird is put under the 

 care of a boy who must carry on its education, and who plays 

 on the little instrument from morning to night, or as long as 

 the bird can pay attention, during which time the head-master 



