CAOK AND SINGING BIRDS. 
25 
eating is absolutely necessary to make him a good songster. 
When I come to him in the morning, he is glad to see me ; 
if he is hungry, he will begin to talk to me, and bid me 
welcome. At first approaching my bird, I very often give 
him three or four grains of rice which have been steeped in 
canary (wine). I sometimes add a little saffron or cochineal 
to the water, according as I find my bird in health and 
strength, and I seldom fail of being rewarded with a song 
for my pains. In the general way of feeding the larks> 
I give a small quantity of bruised rice, v/ith egg and 
bread, and now and then a few hemp seeds. I feed 
the smaller birds with rape seed, and a very little canary 
with it, the latter being apt to make them fat and dull. I 
give. them likewise at times a little bruised rice, which does 
abundance of service, and most assuredly prevents their 
falling into scouring, which is the death of many a fine bird. 
Birds accustomed to this way of feeding ai^e seldom troubled 
with what is called the pip. They shed their feathers with 
far more ease than other birds, and are in general much 
prone to singing, and have a more agreeable note than birds 
that have not been so trained." 
We have in these few remarks, desultory as they 
appear to be, the whole rationale of bird-training — early and 
regular attendance, gentleness, and kindness. The pupils, 
while they learn sweet notes, learn also to regard their 
teacher as their friend : when their lesson has been sufficiently 
conned, the food for the day is given to them, and seems like 
a reward for their efforts .3 they naturally associate the sound 
of his coming footstep, and his voice, and his whistle, and 
his bird-pipes, with the enjoyment of such delicacies as 
canarj^-steeped rice, and the more solid food which will 
follow the lesson, and they exert themselves to the utmost 
to please so kind a friend and bountiful a master. Truly 
has the ingenious German said, as it is with the human 
kind, so it is with the feathered ] " bird nature is like human 
nature, easily drawn by the cords of love, and very teach- 
able under its influence. 
Bechstein, we observe, recommends De Berg s condiment 
for songsters under training. Here are his words : When I 
order grains of rice to be given, I always expect the rice has 
been first soaked in canary wine, and afterwards dried care- 
