24 
CAtrr: Avfiy GlIVal^G BIRDS. 
where feathered pupils are instructed in the shakes, and trills, 
and quaverS; and 
" Notes with many a winding bout 
Of linked sweetness long drawn out,'* 
which go to make a perfect songster — a cantatrice, whose 
thrilhng music delights the heart and ravishes the senses. 
Something on this head we shall have -'^ say when we i 
come to speak of the canary, which is usually considered as 
the chief of caged songsters. As an introduction to our 
general remarks, we cannot do better than quote the obser- 
vations of a celebrated bird trainer named Lewis de Berg : — 
There is neither a lark, linnet, bullfinch, nor goldfinch, but 
that may be brought to as great perfection in song as 
the canary finch ; but the English do not take the pains a 
German does. They love to sleep (or, as he might have 
said, do something more profitable), while the German is 
tuning his pipe and instructing his feathered songsters. 
There is more to be done with the lark from two to three 
o'clock in the morning, than can be done in many months in 
the daytime, or v/hen the least noise or sound is to be heard ^ 
but from the instructor 5 and this rule holds good with all 
finches. Everything should be quiet but the master. As it 
is with the human kind, so it is with the feathered : a good 
master often makes a good scholar, and a good tutor seldom 
fails in making a good bird. I say, begin with your birds 
when all is quiet 5 they will then take much more notice of 
what you endeavour to teach them. The age for beginning 
to instruct should not exceed three months. I sometimes 
begin sooner. I seldom stay less than an hour with each 
bird. I sometimes use my pipe, sometimes whistle, some- 
times sing, but whichever method I adopt, I seldom fail of 
bringing up birds to please ; insomuch that I have often sold i 
a lark for two guineas ; a linnet for one guinea ; a bullfinch, 
when it could pipe finely, from five to ten guineas ; and a 
goldfinch from one to two guineas. In short, the whole art 
of bringing up a bird to sing well depends entirely on visit- 
ing him early, and furnishing him the last thing before you 
leave him with what he is to eat for the day. He should be 
supplied daily with fresh water in his fountain, and small 
gravel at the bottom of his cage 5 but short allowance in 
