3 So



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



happiness to observe and study its habits, its song, its changes of plumage

and its method of breeding. Aug. F. Wiener.



NOTES ON THE WILD CANARY.


A correspondent, who does not wish his name to appear, has sent the

following interesting communication :


Sir,— After reading the interesting paper which Dr. Creswell is

contributing to Bird Notes on the Wild Canary, I was curious enough to

examine the historical evidence given by him, with the result that the first

four authors (in order of date) that he mentions, do not agree with his

statements. I have not yet looked up any later than Willughby.


On p. ioo of Bud Notes, Dr. Creswell writes: “No mention is any¬

where made of the bird showing any green in its coloration.” Taking the

authorities he quotes, the first is Turner (1544), who did not write a

description of the Canary, he wrote about the Siskin and finishes with “Of

this kind are those which England calls Canary Birds.”


The next is Gesner (I have referred to the same edition as Dr. Creswell

1585, although there is an earlier one) and he states “ all the feathers of the

wings and tail being of a green colour,” with a marginal note to the effect

“the Canary is a green bird,” and his friend Raphael Seiler, from whom he

got the account of the bird, wrote some verses describing it “ as green as

grass.”


Aldrovandus (1610) simply copies from Turner’s account of the Siskin,

and gives no description of the Canary, Willughby (not Willoughby, and

the date should be either 1676 or 1678, not 1667) gives no description of his

own, but agrees that it is like a .Siskin and quotes from Gesner.


From the above it will be seen that three of Dr. Creswell’s authors

liken the Canary' to a Siskin, while the fourth (Gesner) is most emphatic in

stating it to be a green bird. Dr. Creswell also gives the wrong name and

title for “Adanson. Histoire Naturelle du Senegal (Coquillages). Avec la

Relation abregee d’un Voyage fait en ce pays, pendant les annees 1749-53.

Published in 1757,” with an English translation two years later, and

Gascoigne’s “Complaint of Pliilomene” which he states to be “about the

same time” (as Turner) was not published until 1576, or 32 years later.


On p. 128, Dr. Creswell continues, “ Besides in 1544,.


we see from Turner that Canaries were already' so common as to be even

found in English Cages.”


From Turner’s and Gesuer’s statements it is very doubtful if Canaries

were common at this period, as Turner writes, “ I11 England it is rare, and

scarcely to be found elsewhere than in cages,” while Gesner, thirty-one

years after (1585), wrote “It is sold everywhere very dear, both for the

sweetness of its singing, and also because it is brought from far remote

places with great care and dilligence and but rarely ; so that it is wont to

be kept only' by' nobles and great men, ” and it is not until nearly 100 y'ears



