Chinese Pigeon Whistles
One of the most curious expressions of emotional life is the application of whistles to a flock of pigeons.
These whistles, very light, weighing a few grams, are attached to the tails of young pigeons soon after their birth, by means of fine copper wire, so that when the birds fly the wind blowing through the whistles sets them vibrating, and this produces an open air concert.
The instruments in the same flock are all different. On a serene day in Peking, where these instruments are manufactured with great cleverness and ingenuity, it is possible to enjoy this aerial music while sitting in one's room.
There are two distinct types of whistles. Those consisting of bamboo tubes placed side by side and a type based on the principal of tubes attached to a gourd.
They are lacquered in yellow, brown, red, and black to protect the material from the destructive influences of the atmosphere.
The tube whistles have either two, three, or five tubes. In some specimens the five tubes are made of oxhorn instead of bamboo. The gourd whistles are furnished with a mouthpiece and small apertures to the number of two, three, six, ten, and even thirteen.
Certain among them have besides a number of bamboo tubes, some of the principal mouthpiece, some arranged around it. These varieties are distinguished by different names. Thus a whistle with one mouthpiece and ten tubes is called "the eleven-eyed one."
The explanation which the Chinese offer of this quaint custom is not very satisfactory. According to them, these whistles are intended to keep the flock together and to protect the pigeons from attacks of birds of prey.
There seems, however, little reason to believe that a hungry hawk could be induced by this innocent music to refrain from satisfying his appetite. This doubtless savors of an after-thought which came up long after the introduction of this usage.
It appears as an attempt to give a rational and practical interpretation to something that had no rational origin whatever for it is not the pigeon that profits from this practice, but merely the human ear, which feasts on the wind-blown tunes and derives aesthetic pleasure from this music.
These whistles, very light, weighing a few grams, are attached to the tails of young pigeons soon after their birth, by means of fine copper wire, so that when the birds fly the wind blowing through the whistles sets them vibrating, and this produces an open air concert.
The instruments in the same flock are all different. On a serene day in Peking, where these instruments are manufactured with great cleverness and ingenuity, it is possible to enjoy this aerial music while sitting in one's room.
There are two distinct types of whistles. Those consisting of bamboo tubes placed side by side and a type based on the principal of tubes attached to a gourd.
They are lacquered in yellow, brown, red, and black to protect the material from the destructive influences of the atmosphere.
The tube whistles have either two, three, or five tubes. In some specimens the five tubes are made of oxhorn instead of bamboo. The gourd whistles are furnished with a mouthpiece and small apertures to the number of two, three, six, ten, and even thirteen.
Certain among them have besides a number of bamboo tubes, some of the principal mouthpiece, some arranged around it. These varieties are distinguished by different names. Thus a whistle with one mouthpiece and ten tubes is called "the eleven-eyed one."
The explanation which the Chinese offer of this quaint custom is not very satisfactory. According to them, these whistles are intended to keep the flock together and to protect the pigeons from attacks of birds of prey.
There seems, however, little reason to believe that a hungry hawk could be induced by this innocent music to refrain from satisfying his appetite. This doubtless savors of an after-thought which came up long after the introduction of this usage.
It appears as an attempt to give a rational and practical interpretation to something that had no rational origin whatever for it is not the pigeon that profits from this practice, but merely the human ear, which feasts on the wind-blown tunes and derives aesthetic pleasure from this music.
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