AFRICA. 37 
have become, as it were, naturallfed among us. 
In vain would the experiment be attempted, ov 
at leaft it would be more difficult to make it 
fucceed, on the real canary bird, brought to 
Europe with the habits and inftind of its na- 
tive country. My friend Temminck at Am- 
fterdam has for many years had an immenfe 
aviary, in which he keeps all kinds of rare and 
- foreign birds. The greater part of them mul- 
tiply there as if in a ftate of liberty ; but none 
of them have hitherto produced him a mixed 
breed. 
The ftate of fervitude in 's^hich a domeftic 
animal lives, the food to which it is confined, 
and the education given it, alter and modify 
its nature. By living with us It appears, fo 
to fpeak, to become corrupted and to afllime 
our vices. This at leaft is found to be the 
cafe with the dogs, horfes, &c. which we 
breed. I have been informed that, at the houfe 
of an upholfterer in the ftreet Croix* des-Pe- 
tits-Champs at Paris, a flie-cat and a dog pro- 
duced young ones, which lived. Had thefe 
animals been reared in a foreft, fooner than 
copulate together, they would have devoured 
icach other. 
D 3 The 
