70 



CANARY BIRD. 



CANARY BIRD (Fringilla canaria, Linnaeus.) 



*Fringilla canaria, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. p. 454 — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 913 — Klein, p. 



88 Shaw's Zool. 9. p. 474 — Serinus canarius, Briss. 3. p. 18. 4 — Rail, Syn. 



p. 91. 6 — Will. p. 192. t. 46. — Le serin des canaries, Buff. 4. p. 1 — Canarien 



Vbgel, Wirs. Vog. t. 18. 29 Canary Finch, Lath. Gen. Hist. 7. p. 88 — 



Albin, 1. pi. 46 Bewick's Br. Birds, l.p. 169 Bolton, pi. 35 — Sijme, p. 160. 



This bird, though not a native, is so well naturalized, that I think 

 it may be well to introduce some account of it here. 



In length this beautiful species is about five inches and a half ; 

 the bill pale flesh-colour, passing into reddish white ; eyes chestnut 

 brown ; the whole plumage of a rich, deep primrose colour, inclining 

 to yellow ; edge of the quills sometimes yellowish white ; legs and 

 feet, the same colour as the bill. The female is distinguished from 

 the male by the plumage being of a paler colour ; the yellow round 

 the bill, eye, 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 subject of our vignette and description, is the jonquil-cock and 

 mealy hen of bird-fanciers. The fancy bird has a tuft of feathers of 

 a fine gamboge yellow, inclining from the middle to each side ; the 

 throat, breast, and under part the same ; the neck, back, and wings 

 beautifully waved and mottled with different tints of pale purplish grey. 



The original stock is said to have been imported from the Canary 

 Isles, about the fourteenth century ; a circumstance 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 yellow, green, and very little brown or grey ; whilst 

 the wild Canary has a plumage of dingy greenish grey. One of these 

 birds, which I received from St. Michael's, sang very much like the 

 linnet. 



Buffon says in his elegant manner, " that if the nightingale is the 

 chauntress of the woods, 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 reten- 

 tive memory; 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 re- 

 ceiving and retaining foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame, 

 and familiar ; is capable of gratitude and even of attachment ; its caresses 



