CANARY-BIRD 71 
Serinus canarius of modern writers, which has long been the com- 
monest of cage-birds throughout the world. It abounds not only in 
the islands whence it has its name, but in the neighbouring groups 
of the Madeiras and Azores. It seems to have been imported into 
Europe very early in the sixteenth century. Turner in 1544 
speaks of the birds “‘ quas Anglia aues canarias uocat” ; a statement 
confirmed by the poet Gascoigne, who died in 1577, and speaks 
(Complaint of Philomene, 1. 33) of “Canara byrds.” Gesner had 
not seen one in 1555, but he gave an account of it (Ornithol. 
p. 234), communicated to him by Raphael Seiler of Augsburg, under 
the name of Suckerudgele. The wild stock is of an olive-green, 
mottled with dark brown, above, and greenish-yellow beneath. 
All the bright-hued examples we now see in captivity have been 
induced by carefully breeding from any chance varieties that have 
shewn themselves; and not only the colour, but the build and 
stature of the bird have in this manner been greatly modified. The 
change must have begun early, for Hernandez, who died in 1587, 
described the bird (Hist. Anim. Nov. Hisp. cap. xxviii. p. 20) as 
being wholly yellow (tota lutea) except the end of its wings.! Of 
late the ingenuity of “the fancy,” which might seem to have 
exhausted itself in the production of topknots, feathered feet, and 
so forth, has brought about a still further change from the original 
type. It has been found that by a particular treatment, in which 
the mixing of large quantities of cayenne-pepper with the food 
plays an important part, the ordinary “canary yellow” may be 
intensified so as to verge upon a more or less brilliant flame colour. 
Birds which have successfully undergone this forcing process, and are 
hence called “ hot canaries,” command a very high price, for a large 
proportion die under the discipline, though it is said that they 
soon become exceedingly fond of the exciting condiment. But it is 
impossible here to treat of this species in its domesticated state. 
A small library of books has been written on the subject.” 
Very nearly resembling the Canary-bird, but smaller in size, is 
the SERIN, Serinus hortulanus, a species which not long since was 
very local in Europe, and chiefly known to inhabit the countries 
bordering on the Mediterranean. It has of late years pushed its 
way towards the north, and has even been several times taken in 
England (Yarrell’s Brit. Birds, ed. 4, ii. pp. 111-116). A closely 
allied species, S. canonicus, is peculiar to Palestine. 
In many different parts of the world the word “Canary” is 
1 This book was not published till 1631, and of course there is a possibility of 
the passage being an interpolation, but I know no reason to suspect it. 
2 Those most to be commended are perhaps The Canary Book by Robert L. 
Wallace, Canaries and Cage Birds by W. A. Blackston, and of course Darwin’s 
Animals and Plants under Domestication (i. p. 295). An excellent monograph 
of the wild bird is that by Dr. Carl Bolle (Journ. fiir Orn. 1858, pp. 125-151). 
