DARKENING THE CAGES. 



101 



nay, enthusiastically, to the perfecting of his song ; in an 

 uncovered cage, on the contrary, the young bird will often 

 become a vociferous screamer instead of a delicate singer, 

 arid this will be particularly the case when many young birds 

 are kept together. The loudest singers are generally 

 suspended in the lowest positions, and the egg-food is 

 occasionally withdrawn, while the other birds are enabled, 

 precisely by that kind of nourishment, to follow their 

 teachers in the most complicated " rolls " and melodies : a 

 constant and attentive supervision of such vocal students is 

 indispensable. Young birds which have been, at an early 

 stage, separated from their teachers, or such as have been 

 trained by but mediocre old birds, or, worse still, by females 

 not belonging to the Hartz-tribe, will, although they may 

 subsequently be placed under more efficient teachers, seldom 

 become first-rate vocalists. In the former case, the bird, 

 falling into the hands of an experienced guardian, and being 

 kept aloof from all disturbing influences, may become 

 proficient despite those unfavourable conditions, but he may 

 also, as often happens, forget his finest melodies, or omit 



SINGING CAGE. 



