THE CANARY-BIRD'S SONG. 401 



Of city birds then tell me not — 



Their lives, their luxury ; 

 I much prefer my country cot, 



With love and liberty. 



To pick seeds out of glass or gold, 



To sing in marble hall, 

 Is what some birds, I have been told, 



The highest pleasure call. 



Give me, I have no other wish, 



The freedom nature gave — 

 Her water and her simplest dish, 



But make me not a slave.* ( 63 ) 



* Beattie has touch'd similar chords : 



" Rise sons of harmony and hail the morn, 

 While warbling larks on russet pinions float 

 Or seek, at noon, the woodland scene remote, 

 Where the grey linnets carol from the hill. 

 O let them ne'er, with artificial note, 

 To please a tyrant, strain the little bill, 

 But sing what heaven inspires and wander where they will," 



Minstrel, Book 1. 



( 63 ) Order, Passeres, (Linn.) Canary-Bird. 



The Fringilla Canaria, (Linn.) Canary, Canary-Bird, or 

 Canary-Finch, consists of two varieties ; one having the bill and 

 body straw-colour ; quill and tail feathers greenish ; the other 

 with body above brown ; eye-brows yellow. The prevailing 

 colour of this bird is, however, yellow, mixed with grey ; but, in a 

 state of nature, it is said that it is chiefly grey. Other varieties, 



