The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Science
The Natural History of Cage Birds: Their Management, Habits, Food, Diseases, Treatment, Breeding, and the Methods of Catching Them.
Bechstein, Johann Matthäus
Cage birds
5. _The Double Trill_ is formed of two long strains, divided by a
cadenced pause, which is named the shake. They distinguish, 1. the
common, subdivided into four; _a_, the strong, _b_, the clear, _c_,
the long, and _d_, the short. These are heard sometimes in the woods
and orchards; but chaffinches that sing _a_ or _b_ soon become the
prey of our bird-catchers. 2. The double trill of Iambach[42]; this
is only to be acquired in the house, and is so deep and powerful that
one can scarcely conceive how the larynx of so small a bird can
produce such sounds. It begins _piano_, and swelling its tones
successively in _crescendo_, makes of the _trilling_ a strain of five
piercing tones, afterwards repeats "_pfaff_" four or five times, and
ends by dwelling on "_Rüdidia_." A chaffinch that possesses this
song, either alone, or united with the good bridegroom's song, such
as are educated in Iambach, sells here for eighteen French francs.
6. _The Gutjahr_, or good year song, is so named from the two last
syllables, and is also divided, 1. into the common, that has but two
strains, of which the second ought to roll five times before
articulating "_gutjahr_." It is not uncommon in our woods. 2. The
good year of the Hartz, which has been acquired in the house, and
consists of two very singular strains, in my opinion not very
agreeable. Chaffinches are very rare now which sing this, united to
that of the wine song of Ruhl, or the sharp song, and their price is
consequently high. They are rarely found but at Ersenach and Ruhl.
7. _The Quakia song_ is so called from its last syllables, and is
double or single, one with one strain, the other with two. This song
was formerly very much admired. It was heard in the woods and house,
but it is now lost, as all the wild chaffinches that sung it have
been taken, and those in confinement have been taught in preference
the good wine song: I believe I possess the only bird that is now to
be found which sings this. To be admired, the quakia must be united
with the double trill. This my chaffinch sings also.
8. _The Pithia_ or _Trewethia_, is a very uncommon and agreeable
song, which is never heard but in the depths of the Thuringian
mountains. The bird-catchers of the villages about the forests of
Hesse seek for birds that possess it, and actively pursue the
songsters. It is first a sonorous strain, followed by several
repetitions of the word "_zack_." Some birds unite to it the common
sharp wine song, and are more valued. The last syllables ought to
sound "_trewididæ_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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