276 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



The Linnet. The Linnet ia a homely looking little brown 

 bird with a sweet melodious voice. It frequents commons 

 and waste lands, where it builds its nest under the cover 

 of friendly furze bushes, or nearer the habitations of man, in 

 thick-set hedges. The Linnet is the natural laureate of the 

 English cottage home. 



The The Canary, as its name implies, comes from 



C*n*rf' the Canary Islands, but it has been so crossed 

 hi breeding that it differs very considerably from its original 

 ancestors. Buffon says:" If the nightingale is the chauntress 

 of the woods, the canary is the musician of the chamber; 

 the first owes all to nature, the second something to art. 

 With less strength of organ, less compass of voice, and less 

 variety of note, the canary has a better ear, greater facility 

 of imitation, and a more retentive memory ; and as the 

 difference of genius, especially among the lower animals, 

 depends in a great measure on the perfection of their senses, 

 the canary, whose organ of hearing is more susceptible of 

 receiving foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame, and 

 familiar; is capable of gratitude and even attachment; its 

 caresses are endearing, its little humours innocent, and its 

 anger neither hurts nor offends. Its education is easy; we 

 hear it with pleasure, because we are able to instruct it. It 

 leaves the melody of its own natural note, to listen to the 

 melody of our voices and instruments. It applauds, it 

 accompanies us, and repays the pleasure it receives with 

 interest ; while the nightingale, more proud of its talent, seems 

 desirous of preserving it in all its purity, at least it appears 

 to attach very little value to ours and it is with great diffi- 

 culty it can be taught any of our airs. The canary can speak 

 and whistle; the nightingale despises our words, as well as 

 our airs, and never fails to return to its own wild-wood 

 notes. Its pipe is a masterpiece of nature, which human 

 art can neither alter nor improve; while that of the canary 

 is a model of more pliant materials, which we can mould 



