THE FINCHES. 93 
builds in holes like the House-Sparrow, and lays similar 
eggs, 
THe Canary (Serinus canaria)* may fairly be called 
the most popular of all Finches. A native of the Islands 
whose name he bears, he has been domesticated for three 
centuries at least, and is a household pet everywhere. The 
wild bird is a little smaller than an ordinary tame one, 
and is in colour olive-green with darker streaks; many 
tame Canaries show this colour, and many also are pied 
green and yellow, but the pure yellow has now become the 
common, and even proverbial colour of the bird. Fanciers 
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recognize two shades of this colour; the ‘‘ yellow ’ 
properly speaking being of a bright rich colour, while the 
light-yellow birds running into white are called “buff.” 
The true yellow is rarely seen in India, almost all the 
numerous birds imported from China being buffs, though a 
few are green or pied. Cinnamon is another colour not 
seen in Chinese Canaries, but many English birds show it. 
It is a pale brown with darker streaks; and birds may 
be pied with cinnamon just as some are pied with green. 
In England, Canaries destined for shows are colour-fed, as 
it is called; that isto say, during the moult, they are fed 
largely on egg-food with which a red colouring matter, 
mainly composed of cayenne pepper, has been liberally 
mixed. Instead of green food, marigold flowers are given 
them. On this diet, they moult out in much enhanced 
plumage, a yellow or buff bird becoming orange, and a 
cinnamon one brick-red ; greens are not colour-fed. 
Of course the effect of this feeding is not permanent ; 
at the next moult, unless the tinted rations are again 
