LESSORS IN PIPING. 
trainer, Lewis de Berg, whose tiny pnpils were sold for their 
weight in guineas, makes the following remarks on this 
J o o 7 o 
subject : — 
“ I feed the smaller birds with rape-seed, and a very little 
canary with it, the latter being apt to make them grow fat and 
dull. I give them, likewise, at times, a little bruised rice, which 
j does abundance of service, and assuredly prevents them falling 
into a scouring, which has been the death of many a fine bird. 
Birds accustomed to this way of feeding are seldom troubled 
with what is called the pip, they shed their feathers with much more 
ease than do birds that are otherwise fed, they are much more 
prone to singing, and acquire a more agreeable note than birds 
who are otherwise trained. The bruised rice, however, should 
first be soaked in canary wine, and afterwards dried carefully 
for use, though giving the bird a few grains while wet with 
this excellent liquor does mighty well, but it is not to be con- 
stantly practised.” One can imagine the jolly German among 
his feathered pets, each singing a stave in his turn, while they 
all tippled canary wine. I wonder if bold Lewis de Berg himself 
“ practised it constantly.” IJpon my word, I’m half inclined to 
; think he did. 
Once, on passing a bird-fancier’s, my attention was arrested 
by a most extraordinary noise emanating from a bird that was 
hung up for sale. It was a bullfinch, and as near as I can 
express it in writing this was his lay, “ Chuff- chuff-chuff- chuff- 
| creak-creak-chuff-chuff-chuff,” and then a sort of “ cluck, cluck,” 
such as a nurse makes to a baby. The bird-fancier could not 
account for the extraordinary music ; indeed, he had only 
bought it of a friend of his a few days before. I was curious 
j enough to make further inquiries, and discovered that the bull- 
| finch had belonged to a person who lodged at a tobacco manu- 
facturer’s at Bermondsey, and that the discordant noise made 
by the bird was an exact imitation of that which was going on 
I from mornimg to night at the tobacco-mill. The “ chuff-chuff” 
was the noise of the cutting-knives, the “ creak-creak ” the 
j unoiled crank turned by the horse, and the “ cluck, cluck,” 
the sound made by the horse- driver when he wanted his 
animal to go faster. 
Be quite sure that you thoroughly know the tunes 
you attempt to teach your bird, as he will follow you to the 
minutest turn or quaver. Indeed, the exactness of the bird’s 
imitative powers once occasioned the detection of a thief in a 
rather extraordinary manner, and as the circumstance came 
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