192 THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
That true lover of nature, whose whole life was 
devoted to exploring its beauties and wonders, ob- 
served, in his Natural History of Selborne — Might 
not canary birds be naturalized to this climate, pro- 
vided their eggs were put, in the spring, into the 
nests of some of their congenors, as goldfinches, 
greenfinches, &c.? Before winter, perhaps, they 
might be hardened, and able to shift for themselves.'' 
Mr. Blythe, in a note, adds, " I have once or twice 
seen canary finches flying about loose during the 
summer months, which had of course made their 
escape from confinement : but they are too unsus- 
picious, too easily entrapped, to stand any chance 
against the snares that are always laid for them ; 
they are sure to come down instantly to the call of a 
bird of their own species. A canary, in the vicinity 
of my residence, was one evening observed to fly 
direct to a hole in a dry bank — a warm, but rather a 
singular roosting place ; it was soon captured." 
It would be truly desirable, were it possible, to 
adorn our groves with these lady like birds ; for, to 
my fancy, they are the nobles of the feathered race. 
I fear, however, they are too timid and gentle to live 
wild among the John Bull birds of our woods and 
