THE CANARY. 197 



delight of the parent birds who stood together on the 

 edge of the basket, attentively looking -down at the 

 ugly, helpless, pink little things below. 



The origin of the tame canary is, unfortunately, lost 

 in obscurity; for the story that connects it with the 

 shipwreck off the Island of Elba and the Canary Isles 

 is voted by common consent as unworthy of belief. 

 However that may be, there are at the present day 

 several distinct varieties of canary. 



Canaries vary in song as much as they do in shape 

 and color. Some have the sky-lark, others the wood- 

 lark, and still others the nightingale note. Some have 

 a song consisting of loud, harsh shrieks which is very 

 unpleasant to" listen to. A canary, if taught while 

 quite young, will generally pick up any air that is reg- 

 ularly whistled to it, or played on a flageolet ; but the 

 lesson must be often repeated. 



