548 Imitative Powers of the Canary. \ 



Power of imitating Sounds in a Canary. — A curious fact 

 came under our observation, a short time since, in connexion 

 with the power which some species of the feathered tribe have of 

 imitating the articulation of the human voice. A lady, resid- 

 ing at the west end of the metropolis, wrote to Mr. Yarrell, 

 stating that she- had a talking canary, and requesting him to 

 visit it, that he might be convinced of the fact. Having re- 

 received an invitation to accompany Mr. Yarrell, we called 

 on the lady, and had an opportunity of witnessing a perform- 

 ance which greatly surprised us. The canary repeated words, 

 and whole sentences, certainly as distinctly as any parrot we 

 ever heard, and that as often and as naturally as its own 

 song. The lady stated that she had reared the canary, which 

 was a male bird, from the nest ; and on one occasion, whilst 

 addressing to it some endearing expressions, to her surprise 

 it repeated the words after her, and has been in the daily 

 habit of talking ever since, a period of about six months. We 

 thought it worth while to notice this fact, not being aware 

 that any similar instance is on record. — Ed. 



Birth of a Dromedary (Camelus Dromeddrius) at the Gardens 

 of the Zoological Society. — Within the last three weeks, one of 

 the dromedaries at the gardens of the Zoological Society has 

 produced young ; and this interesting addition to the menagerie 

 appears likely to thrive well. We believe this is the first in- 

 stance of the entire period of gestation in the dromedary 

 being passed in this country. 



Remarks on the possible Origin of Ignis Fatuus. — In one 

 of your late Numbers there appeared some discussion, and 

 various opinions given, concerning the real nature of the Ignis 

 Fatuus or Jack-with-the-lantern ; a phenomenon very often 

 seen, but of the real cause of its luminosity accounts are various 

 and conflicting. One considers it to be an unctuous phos- 

 phorescent vapour arising from marshy ground ; others, that 

 it is an accidental combination of some inflammable gas, which 

 becomes visible when floating in dense air ; but the general 

 opinion now appears to be, that it is a winged insect, which 

 has some luminous member, or apparatus, attached to some 

 part of its body, which renders the insect visible on nights. 



That the insect is the mole cricket, as asserted by two wit- 

 nesses, is feasible, in so far as mole crickets usually abound 

 where the Ignis is most frequently seen ; but this cricket, like 

 its congeners, is ill calculated for flight of any long duration. 

 I have lived near a rivulet, the banks of which were honey- 

 combed by the inroads of these crickets, but never observed 

 one of them on the wing. When digged out of the bank 

 (which they often were, in forming drains), they would give a 



