174 



THE CANARY-FINCH. 



whom it is fed and attended. In a state of nature we know but little 

 of its manners and economy. Like the rest of its tribe, it feeds chiefly 

 on seed and different kinds of grain. It inhabits the woods of Italy, 



Greece, and the Canary Is- 

 lands ; from the latter of which 

 it appears to have been first 

 brought into Europe, about the 

 rJdle of the fourteenth cen- 

 tury. These birds, however, 

 are now so commonly bred in 

 our own country that we are 

 not often under the necessity of 

 crossing the ocean for them. 



It is not generally known, 

 that the song of the Canary- 

 bird is usually composed either 

 of the Titlark's or the Night- 

 ingale's notes. Mr. Barring- 

 ton saw two of these birds 

 which came from the Canary 

 Islands, neither of which had 

 any song at all; and he was 

 informed that a ship afterwards 

 brought over a great number 

 of them, all of which had the 

 same defect. Most of the birds 

 that are imported from Tyrol 

 have been educated under pa- 

 rents, the progenitors of which 

 were instructed by a Nightin- 

 gale. The English Canary- 

 birds have, however, more of the Titlark's than of the Nightingale's notes. 

 Dr Darwin relates a very singular anecdote respecting one of these 

 birds: "On observing (says he) a Canary-bird at the house of Mr. 

 Hervey, near Tetbury, in. Derbyshire, I was told that it always fainted 

 away when its cage was cleaned; and I desired to see the experiment. 

 The cage being taken from the ceiling, and the bottom drawn out, 

 the bird began to tremble, and turned quite white about the root of 

 its bill: it then opened its mouth as if for breath, and respired quick, 

 etood up straighter on its perch hung, its wings, spread its tail, closed 

 its eyes, and appeared quite stiff and cataleptic for nearly half an 

 hour; and at length, with much trembling and deep respirations, 

 camo gradually to itself.' 7 



& Frenchman, whose name was Dujon, exhibited in London 

 twenty-four Canary-birds, many of which lie said were from eighteen to 

 twenty-five years of age. Some of these balanced themselves, head down- 

 ward, on their shoulders, having their legs and tail in the air. One of 

 them taking a stick in its claws, passed its head between its legs, and suf- 

 fered itself to be turned round, as if in the act of being roasted. Another 

 balanced itself, and was swung backward and forward on a slack rope. 



CANARY-FINCH. 



