12 Birds I Have Kept. 



varieties of the green, cinnamon, and crested Canaries; but 

 when one comes to recollect that these "sports" are to be 

 met with in all the different varieties, excepting the Lizards, 

 it must, I think, be conceded, that they cannot be so distin- 

 guished. 



The London Fancy Canary is generally a bright jonque- 

 coloured bird, with black wings and tail; though a few mealy 

 specimens with grey or grizzled tail and wings are occasionally 

 met with: these birds, which have become rather scarce of 

 late, are usually undersized. 



So much for the different kinds of Canaries that are to be 

 met with at present; they vary in song as much as they 

 do in shape and colour, some having the Nightingale, others 

 the Sky Lark, and others again the Wood Lark note; while 

 yet others have a prolonged song of their own, consisting of 

 inharmonious combinations of loud and harsh shrieks, that are 

 simply appalling to listen to. A Canary, if taught while quite 

 young, will generally pick up any air that is regularly whistled 

 to it, or played on a flageolet or bird-organ; but the lesson 

 must be frequently repeated, or the bird will forget part, and 

 transpose other portions of the melody, producing an odd, but 

 not by any means pleasing effect. 



A common Canary I once owned actually spoke, repeating 

 incessantly by way of song the words, '^ Pretty Dick, pretty 

 Dick, pretty little Dick; kiss, kiss, kiss, pretty little Dickee." 

 It had formerly belonged to an old lady, who had been in 

 the habit of talking to it; and strange to say, when placed 

 along with other birds, it forgot to speak, and learned to sing 

 as they did. 



Some people, fond of trying experiments, have mated the 

 Canary with a number of our British Finches, with good re- 

 sults in the case of the Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Greenfinch 

 and Serin Finch, which last-named bird is not, by the bye, 

 very often found in this country; while the results with the 

 Redpole and Bullfinch have been indifferent, and those with 



