The Canary Bird. 231 



nut-brown; the whole plumage of a rich, deep-primrose color, in- 

 clining to yellow; edge of the quills sometimes yellowish- white; 

 legs and feet, the same color as the bill. The female is distin- 

 guished from the male by the plumage being of a paler color; the 

 yellow round the bill, eyes, and on the breast and edge of the 

 wing, being also of a paler yellow ; she is likewise rather larger 

 and less slender in form towards the tail. 



The oriental stock is said to have been imported into England 

 from the Canary Isles about the fourteenth century; a circum- 

 stance not mentioned by Belon, and discredited by Syme, for 

 these reasons. ' The wild birds found in the Canary Isles,' says 

 he, ' bear less resemblance, in song and plumage to the domestic 

 canary, than to the siskin of Germany, the venturon of Italy, or 

 the serin of France. The plumage of these is a mixture of yel- 

 low, green, and a very little brown or gray; while the wild ca- 

 nary has a plumage of dingy, greenish-gray. One of these birds 

 which I received from St. Michael's sung very much like the 

 linnet.' 



' If the nightingale is the chantress of the woods,' says BufFon, 

 ' the canary is the musician of the chamber; the first owes all to 

 nature, the second something to art. With less strength of organ, 

 less compass of voice, and less variety of note, the canary has a 

 better ear, greater facility of imitation, and a more retentive mem- 

 ory; and as the difference of genius, especially among the lower 

 animals, depends in a great measure on the perfection of their 

 senses, the canary, whose organ of hearing, is more susceptible of 

 receiving and retaining foreign impressions, becomes more social, 

 tame, and familiar: is capable of gratitude and even of attach* 

 ment; its caresses are endearing, its little humors innocent, and 

 its anger neither hurts nor offends. Its education is easy; we rear 

 it with pleasure, because we are able to instruct it. It leaves the 

 melody of its own natural note, to listen to the melody of our 

 voices and instruments. Itapplauds, it accompanies us, and re- 

 pays the pleasure it receives with interest, while the nightingale, 

 more proud of its talent, seems desirous of preserving it in all its 

 purity, at least it appears to attach very little value to ours, and it 

 is with great difficulty it can be taught any of our airs. The ca- 

 nary can speak and whistle; the nightingale despises our words, 

 as well as our airs, and never fails to return to its own wild-wood 

 notes. Its pipe is a masterpiece of nature, which hunjan art can 

 neither alter nor improve; while that of the canary is a model of 

 more pliant materials, which we can mould at pleasure; and there- 

 fore it contributes in a much greater degree to the comforts of 

 society. It sings at all seasons, cheers us in the dullest weather, 



