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THE CANAKY BIRD AND THE SISKIN. 



The Canary {Curdaelis canaria). 



The pretty little Canary Bird, so prizad as a domestic pet, derives 

 its name from the locality whence it was originally brought. 



Rather more than three hundred years ago a ship was partly laden 



with little green birds captur- 

 ed in the Canary Islands, and, 

 the vessel having been wrecked 

 near Elba, the birds made their 

 escape, flew to the island, and 

 there settled themselves. Num- 

 bers of them were caught by 

 the inhabitants, and on account 

 of their sprightly vivacity and 

 the brilliancy of their voice they 

 soon became great favorites, and 

 rapidly spread over Europe. 



The original color of the Ca- 

 nary is not the bright yellow 

 with which its feathers are gen- 

 erally tinted, but a kind of 

 dappled olive-green, black, and yellow, either color predominating 

 according to circumstances. 



I have kept Can iries for many years, and could fill pages with an- 

 ecdotes and histories of them and 

 their habits, but, as I have already 

 written rather a long biography 

 of my Canaries in My Feathered 

 Friends, together with instructions 

 for the management and rearing 

 of these pretty birds, there is no, 

 need to repeat the account in the 

 present pages. 



The Siskin is hardly to be con- 

 sidered more than an occasional 

 visitor in England, but in Scotland 

 it sometimes breeds, as may be seen 

 from the following extract : 



"The Siskin is a common bird 

 in all the high parts of Aberdeen- 

 shire, which abound in fir-woods. 

 They build generally near the ex- 

 tremities of the branches of tall 

 fir trees or near the summit of 

 the tree. Sometimes the nest is 

 found in plantations of young fir-wood. In one instance I met with 



The Siskin [Fringillus spiuus). 



