4 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. | 
supplied, the bird reverts to its natural colour. But the 
effect is so striking that colour-feeding is constantly prac- 
tised, as no bird with a natural complexion has any chance 
of winning prizes nowadays in most of the breeds. 
A good deal of alteration in the form of the Canary has 
also been effected since it was tamed. The Chinese birds 
commonly seen in Calcutta have departed little from the 
wild type in shape and size. But many English birds are 
twice as big as Chinese specimens ; birds with crests formed 
of radiating feathers are commor ; and in the Scotch and 
Belgian Canaries, the form is very large and thin, and the 
common position a craning or stooping one. The song 
of the Canary is of course its great recommendation as a 
cage-bird, as it is more melodious than that of most Finch- 
es, and better sustained than that of almost any bird ; 
and in Germany, where the song has been specially culti- 
vated, it has been brought to great perfection, by breeding 
from the best singers and their female relatives. 
In England, song is neglected by fanciers, size, colour, 
&e., being the points attended to; hence the English 
birds, being so large and fine, have often very loud and 
unpleasant voices. But it must be remembered that a 
bird’s song which is unpleasantly loud in the confined 
rooms of an English house, would not be at all out of place 
in one of our bungalows. 
The Chinese birds commonly to be had in India have 
nice soft voices, as have also the Maltese. As the cock 
and hen Canary are almost exactly alike, the only way to 
get a cock bird, if you are not sure of the seller, is simply 
to insist on hearing a bird sing, and to make sure you get 
