737 



CANARY-BIRD. 



CANARY-BIRD. 



733 



was unknown ; and what tended to render them scarce was that only 

 the male birds were brought over, no females. The gray of its primi- 

 tive colour, darker on the back and greener on the belly, has under- 

 gone so many changes from its being domesticated, from the climate, 

 and from the union with birds analogous to it (in Italy with the citril- 

 finch, the serin ; in our country Germany with the linnet, the green- 

 finch, the siskin, and the goldfinch), that we now have canaries of all 

 colours. If we had not suflicient proof that canaries came originally 

 from the Fortunate Islands, we should think the citril-finch, the 

 serin, and the siskin were the wild stock of the domesticated race. 

 I have seen a bird whose parents were a siskin and serin, which per- 

 fectly resembled a variety of the canary which is called the green. 

 I have also seen mules from a female gray canary, in which was no 

 trace of their true parentage. The gray, the yellow, the white, the 

 blackish, and the chestnut are the principal varieties, and it is from 

 their combination and from their tints that we derive the numerous 

 varieties that we now possess. Those canaries that have the upper 

 part of the body of a dusky green or linnet-brown, and the under part 

 the yellowish-green of the green-bird, with dark brown eyes, are the 

 strongest, and most nearly resemble the primitive race. The yellow 

 and white often have red eyes, and are the most tender. The chestnut 

 are the most uncommon, and hold a middle rank for strength and 

 length of life between the two extremes. But as the plumage of the 

 intermediate ones is a mixture of these principal colours, their value 

 depends on the pretty and regular manner in which they are marked. 

 The canary that is most admired amongst us now is one with the body 

 white or yellow, the head, particularly if crested, wings, and tail, yel- 

 lowish-dun : the second in degree is of a golden yellow, with the head, 

 wings, and tail black, or at least dusky gray. Next follow the gray 

 or blackish, with a yellow head and collar ; and the yellow, with a 

 blackish or green tuft, which are very much valued. As for those that 

 are irregularly spotted, speckled, or variegated, they are much less 

 sought after, and are used to pair with those of one colour, white, 

 yellow, gray, brown-gray, and the like." 



The usual length of a Canary is about 5 inches, of which the tail 

 measures about two and a quarter. The bill is about 5 lines in length, 

 strong, sharply pointed, and inclining to white. The shanks, or feet 

 as they are technically called, are about 8 lines long, and of a flesh- 

 colour. 



The female is very like the male, but is generally less bright iu 

 colour, smaller about the head, shorter about the neck and body, not 

 so high on the shanks, and altogether of a form somewhat less elegant 

 than that of the male. There is a bean-shaped feather under the bill, 

 and the temples and circles round the eyes are deeper in colour than 

 the other parts of the body. 



The Canary breeds freely with allied species of birds, and many 

 hybrids are recognised by breeders. Amongst the more common are 

 the following : 



1. Mules bred from a hen Canary and a Goldfinch. These partake 

 of the parental colours on both sides. The finest are produced from 

 yellow or white hen canaries. 



2. Mules bred from a hen Canary and a male Siskin. -The young 

 always resemble the Siskin in shape. If the mother be green they 

 will be like a hen Siskin ; if she be white or yellow they will be lighter 

 in coloxir than a Siskin, without however any great difference. 



3. Mules bred between a hen Canary and a Green-Bird, or a Citril- 

 Finch. When the mother is neither white nor yellow the young 

 do not differ much from the Gray or Green Canary ; but they are 

 generally rather more slender, and their bills are also shorter and 

 thicker. 



4. Mules bred between a hen Canary and a Linnet. These, if the 

 mother be white or yellow, will be speckled ; if she be gray they will 

 resemble her generally, but their tails will be longer. 



Moat of these mules are fruitful, and there is no great difficulty in 

 getting the parents to pair ; but when the union is with species more 

 remote, the difficulty increases in proportion. 



/>. Mules between a hen Canary and a Bullfinch. Bechstein says 

 that the eggs of this union seldom prove fruitful ; but Dr. Jassy of 

 Frankfort obtained mules of a bullfinch and a canary, by making other 

 canaries sit on the eggs and bring up the young, a plan pursued in 

 Bohemia. 



Besides the birds above enumerated, chaffinches, yellowhammers, 

 &c. have been tried, but with no good success. Bechstein says that 

 he never saw a male canary very fond of a female yellowhammer, nor 

 a male of the latter kind of a female canary, though the plumage may 

 be selected so as to offer a striking resemblance. 



It will be observed that in all the five instances recorded the Canary 

 is always the mother. The reason why breeders select the male of 

 the other species when mules are desired in, because a female siskin, 

 goldfinch, &c. could not easily be induced, if at all, to lay her eggs in an 

 artificial nest like a canary. 



The hybrids between these various species are stated to be fruitful, 



and to have the power of continuing their mixed forms. The first 



f these hybrids are said to be very small, and the young hatched 



K'-ni very weak. The eggs of the next year are said to be larger, 



and the nestlings stronger and stouter. 



In order to obtain bright and good plumage, those birds whose 

 colours are clear and whose spots are clean and well defined should be 



HAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. I. 



placed together. A brownish-gray or greenish bird paired with one of 

 a lively yellow often produces young of a dim white and of other 

 admired colours. Two crested birds should never be joined, for their 

 offspring are frequently hatched with part of the head bald, or other- 

 wise deformed in plumage. 



Bechstein gives the following directions for forwarding the breeding 

 of Canaries : " The best time for pairing canaries is the middle of 

 April. Either one male and one or two females are placed in a large 

 cage, or many of both sexes are united in a room or aviary, having the 

 advantage of a south aspect. Nests made of turned wood or osiers 

 are given them, as straw ones are too easily torn. It is a good plan to 

 place in the room or aviary slips of pine, which being cut in February 

 do not lose their leaves. If a little inclosure of wire-gauze can be fixed 

 over the window, where the birds can enjoy the fresh air, nothing will 

 more effectually contribute t render the young healthy and robust. 

 Birds which are to be paired for the first time should be previously 

 placed in the same cage for seven or eight days, in order to become 

 acquainted and accustomed to live together. If two females are to be 

 caged with one male, it is especially necessary that they should be 

 together long enough to leave off quarrelling, and the pairing-cage 

 should be divided into two equal parts, communicating by a sliding- 

 door. This being done, a lively male and one of the females should 

 be placed in the first division ; as soon as she has laid the male should 

 be moved into the other division, the door of separation being shut ; 

 but as soon as the other has also laid the door may be left open : the 

 male will then visit the females alternately, and they will not trouble 

 themselves about each other ; but without these precautions jealousy 

 would incline them to fight and destroy each other's eggs. When it 

 is intended to place a great many females, double or treble the number 

 of males, in a room or aviary, the latter should always be first paired 

 with a single female, which will ever after remain the favourite ; and 

 it will only be when she is about to sit that he will pair with the 

 others ; and this is all the notice he will take of them, for afterwards 

 he will only notice their young. It is from these mothers however 

 that the most and the best birds are gen%rally procured. If the floor 

 of the room or aviary is well covered with moss, little else need be 

 added for making the nests, otherwise they should be supplied with 

 the hair of cows and deer, hog's bristles, fine hay, lint, wool cut two 

 or three inches long, paper-shavings, and the like. That which is 

 coarsest serves for the outside, and the softest and finest for the inside. 

 If they have shrubs, traces of the natural instinct of the canary are 

 soon observed in the nests, which they construct without the help of 

 the turner or basket-weaver ; but they are of an inelegant form, and 

 the outside is not very carefully finished. The females alone, as is 

 usual among birds, are the builders, the males only choosing the situa- 

 tion and bringing the materials. It is in the nest, where the female 

 is in continual motion, that the pairing takes place ; she invites the 

 male by constant little chirpings, repeated more quickly the nearer she 

 is to laying. Seven or eight days are generally reckoned from the first 

 pairing to the laying of the first egg ; the other eggs, whose number 

 varies, without exceeding six, are laid successively every following day, 

 and often at the same hour. The laying ended, pairing continues 

 during the first days of incubation. If the pairs agree they must bo 

 left entirely to themselves, without endeavouring to use art to help 

 nature, as many do. It is usual to take away the first egg and substi- 

 tute an ivory one, which is repeated with the others to the last, pre- 

 serving them in the meantime in a box filled with fine dry sand : they 

 are afterwards restored all together to the nest to be hatched." 



Upon this practice there is a difference of opinion, as the plan above 

 recommended causes the mother a greater loss of heat, and burdens her 

 at once with five or six little ones, which coming together disturb rather 

 than please her ; whereas in seeing them hatched successively one after 

 the other her pleasure is increased, and her strength and courage are 

 supported. " Very intelligent bird-fanciers," adds Buffon, " assure us 

 that by not removing the eggs from the female, and leaving them to 

 be hatched in succession, they have always succeeded better than when 

 they have substituted ivory eggs." The hen Canary will generally lay 

 three or four times in the year, from April to September, and some 

 will even continue to lay during their moult. The eggs are of a deli- 

 cate sea-green hue, spotted at one end more or less with violet or 

 maroon colour. About the eighth day after the hen has begun to sit, 

 the eggs may be examined by holding them between the flame of a 

 candle and the eye. Those which are good will by that time exhibit 

 well-developed blood-vessels, whereas the bad ones will continue clear 

 or be already addled these should be thrown away. It may be 

 doubted however whether the better course be not to leave tBe 

 hen quite undisturbed. The cock will sometimes take his turn for 

 some hours in the day ; but the hen seldom approves of this : as soon 

 as she has taken her hasty meal she flies bock to the nest, and if the 

 male, whose capabilities as a hatcher she seems strongly to question, 

 do not retire, she pecks him till he does. On the thirteenth day the 

 young generally make their appearance. While incubation is going 

 on the place where the birds are confined should be kept quiet ; for 

 it is asserted that sudden jarring noises, such as the violent slamming 

 of a door or the discharge of a gun will kill the young in the shell. Wo 

 have above seen that it is usual to give two females to one mole ; and 

 it is alleged that if one of the former should die during incubation, 

 the survivor immediately takes charge of the eggs, to the care of which 



3 B 



