A. R. Galloway 
11 
Acuteness of vision is seldom diminished in the pink-eyed canary ; in it the 
pink-eye is best seen by holding the bird with its beak directed to the source of 
light (a roof-light is best) and to the examiner's face. In this position both 
brightly illuminated pupils (the fundus reflex) will be seen. The brightness 
depends mostly on the size of the pupil, and on the amount of top shadow, 
e.g. a crested bird will show it more clearly than a plainhead. 
As an ordinary dark-eyed bird may show a small amount of redness of pupil 
when held in the position described, and as the degree of brightness depends on 
the amount of illumination — just as in using the ophthalmoscope in the case of 
the human eye — the only certain way to tell a pink-eyed canary is to examine the 
chick immediately after hatching, when the unopened eye region will be seen to 
be of a distinct pink (fleshy-pink) colour and quite different from that of its dark- 
eyed nest companions. For this reason also it is preferable to use the term 
"pink-eye" rather than "red" or "brown-red" eye. 
V. The Evolution of the Canary. Evidence from Hervieux*. 
One is inclined to attach much importance to this author's statements as they 
bear evidence of being founded on actual experiments, and are not mere repetitions 
from other writers. 
Indeed many of the stories concerning the breeding of those mules, which we, 
at the present time, regard as impossible, e.g. chaffinch-canary, yellowhammer- 
canary, have probably arisen from the too free interpretation and misunderstanding 
of Hervieux's statements. 
For he instances the above two hybrids, but only to illustrate his nomenclature. 
" A male canary being coupled with a female chaffinch, the young which come from 
them are named Serins mulets de Pin5on " and the others the same : 
" Canary mule of the linnet." 
" Canary mule of the yellowhammer (Bruant)." 
" Canary mule of the goldfinch." 
Having stated this he adds : 
" Of all those birds of which I am about to speak, those which one pairs most 
commonly with our canaries, are the goldfinches, male and female, for the others 
are but seldom used above all at present, so that is an experiment which some new- 
Fanciers (nouveaux Curieux) wish to make, to see what sorts of mules ai-e produced 
from these different birds." 
This clearly proves that Hervieux had no personal knowledge of the yellow- 
hammer-canary and chaffinch-canary hybrids, which subsequent writers (e.g. Buffon) 
state, on this inadequate evidence, to have been bred. 
* Traite des Serins de Canarie, par Hervieux (1713). There are various editions from 1709 — 1785. 
The oldest most complete one is that of 1713 which I have used. 
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