3 
places where there are scattered high trees and tolerably open brushwood. It ranges from the 
coast up to an altitude of 5000 to 6000 feet in the mountains; but it is entirely wanting in many 
parts of the intervening country. It breeds in the gardens of the densely peopled towns as well as 
in the most solitary portions of the island; but it is essentially a frequenter of trees. The dense 
laurel-thickets it does not appear to affect, or at least it only seems to occur on the outskirts; but 
the vineyards, in which fruit-trees are scattered about, are usually frequented by these birds, more 
especially because they are warm and sunny, and the Canary loves a warm sunshiny place. ‘The 
large forests of the Canarian pine (Pinus canariensis) are also warm in the summer season ; and here 
Dr. Bolle also found the present species breeding, and states that it certainly breeds in the Pinal, 
on the Teyde, usually nesting on young pines, but he is doubtful as to whether it remains there 
in the winter season. Berthelot met with Canaries, however, in large flocks in September 1852 
close below the summit of the island of Palma, at an altitude of nearly 6000 feet, where the pine 
ceases to grow and is replaced by codeso-thickets intermixed with a few straggling cedars. 
Nidification commences in March, usually in the latter part of that month. The nest is 
seldom built lower than about eight feet from the ground, and often much higher, slender young 
trees being usually selected for nidification, and especially such as are evergreen or have foliage 
early. The pear- or granate-tree is most frequently selected, the orange less often; and the fig, it 
is said, is never made use of. The nest is always carefully concealed, but when in a garden is 
not difficult to find, because the bird is so often seen flying to and from it. ‘The first nest we 
found,” Dr. Bolle writes, ‘was discovered late in March 1856, in a deserted garden at Villa 
Orotava, and was built in a box tree about twelve feet high, which grew out of a myrtle hedge. 
It was in a fork of the tree, with the base of the nest only on the bough, and was large at the 
base, narrowing towards the top, very neatly built of snow-white plant-cotton intermixed with a 
few dry grass-straws. ‘The first egg was laid on the 30th March; and one was deposited every 
succeeding day until five were laid, this being the normal complement; for we subsequently found 
three, and four in some nests, but never more than five. ‘The eggs are pale sea-green, marked 
with reddish brown spots, seldom unspotted. Incubation lasts about thirteen days; and when 
hatched the young remain in the nest until they are fully feathered; and for some little time 
after they leave the nest they are fed by the parents with food disgorged from the crop. Four 
broods are usually raised in the season, but sometimes only three. Moulting commences late in 
July; and then the season of propagation has ended.” ‘The female alone attends to the duty of 
incubation; and whilst she is sitting the male is usually found seated on the top of some neigh- 
bouring tree uttering his rich song. By some observers the song of the wild Canary is said to 
be richer and sweeter than that of its caged representative; but Dr. Bolle expressly states that 
though the songs of the wild and the domestic bird are similar in character, that of the wild bird 
is the less rich of the two. Its flight resembles that of the Linnet, is wavy, and the bird flies 
from tree to tree at no very great altitude. When a flock is on the wing the birds do not fly 
in a close body, but rather scattered, and they continually utter their call-note. Except during 
the breeding-season, they usually collect in large flocks, splitting up into smaller bands as they 
go in search of food during the daytime, but collecting again in the evening to roost in company ; 
and when they reach their roosting-place they keep up a loud confused noise for some time, until 
they retire to rest. 
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