$i6 CANARY BIRD, Cla& lit 



We believe it breeds only in the Northern parts of 

 our ifland. 



Here it may not be improper to mention the 

 Canary bird*) which is of the finch tribe. It was 

 originally peculiar to thofe ifles, to which it owes its 

 name •,. the fame that were known to the antients by 

 the addition of the fortunate. The happy tempera- 

 ment of the air, the fpontaneous productions of the 

 ground in the varieties of fruits ; the fprightly and 

 chearful difpofition of the inhabitants -f- ; and the 

 harmony arifing from the number of the birds found 

 there J, procured them that romantic diilinclion. 

 Though the antients celebrate the ifTe of Canari 'a for 

 the multitude of birds, they have not mentioned any 

 in particular. It is probable then, that our fpecies 

 was not introduced into Europe till after the fecond 

 difcovery of thefe ifles, which was between the thir- 

 teenth and fourteenth centuries. We are uncertain 

 when it ftrft made its appearance in this quarter of the 

 globe. Belon, who wrote in 1555, isfilent in refpedc 

 to thefe birds : Gefner \\ is the firft who mentions 



* Wil. orn. 262. Rail fyn. av. 91. FideSerlh des Canaries. BriJJon 

 cv. iii. 184. Fringilla Canari3. Lin.fyfi. 321. 



f Fcrcunats infula .abundant fua fponte genitis, et fubinde aliis 

 fuper aliis inr.afceniilus nihil folidtos alunt ; beatius quam alite urbes 

 exculia. Mela defit, orb. iii. 1 7 . He then relates, the vail flow of mirth 

 among this happy people, by a figurative fort of exprefiion, that al- 

 ludes to their tempering discretion with their jollity, and never fuf- 

 fering it to exceed the bounds of prudence. This he delivers un- 

 der the notion of two fountains found among them, alterumqui 

 guda-vere rifu fohiuntur in mortem; it a ajfefiis remedium ejl ex altero J 

 iibere. 



X Gmnes copia pomoyum, M allium omnii generic abundent, &c. 

 Tlin. lib. vi. z. lz. 



\ Gefner av> 240. 



them 5, 



