Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/194

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Chapter XVII.
Bird Singers, Etc.

Very many amusing contrivances can be made of the most simple materials. I have seen boys pluck a blade of grass, and, by simply stretching it edgewise between their thumbs, make a musical instrument with which they could imitate the notes of a singing bird so closely as to perfectly deceive persons not in the secret. After placing the blade of grass, as shown by the illustration, put your lips to your thumbs at the hollow between the joints and blow. The result will be a shrill noise which, with very little practice, can be made to resemble the notes of different wild birds.

The Block Bird Singer.

The illustration (Fig. 118) shows an instrument made upon the same principle as the "bird singer" just described. The "block bird singer" consists of two blocks of pine small enough to fit between the front teeth of the operator. The blocks are hollowed out in the middle, as shown by A, Fig. 118.

Stretch a blade of grass across the hollow of one of the blocks and place the other block on top of it, as shown by B, Fig. 118.

Place the blocks between your teeth, and by drawing in and expelling your breath you can produce a series of shrill

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