CAN 
CAN 
the elephant, and the hippopotamos, v/ere all let 
loofe promifcuoufly, and infli6led indifcriminate 
deftru(ftion. 
The laft Camelopard recorded to have been 
feen in Europe, was fent from the Eaft to the Em- 
peror of Germany, in 1559: however, thefe ani- 
mals have often been feen tame at Grand Cairo in 
Egypt, though the race is far from being nume- 
rous. 
The Greeks called this animal Camelopardalis ; 
becaule, as they luppofed, it was generated betv/een 
a camel and a leopard. 
CAMURI. A fea-filh of the lupus or baffe 
kind, common in the feas and larger rivers of 
America. It grows to about two feet in length, 
and one foot in thicknefs. The head is monftrouf- 
ly large, and the mouth extremely wide. It has 
a large flrong fin on it's back, armed widi fliarp 
prickles ; and a furrow in the back behind it, into 
which the fifh can occafionally lay it down. It's 
fides are yellowifh; it's belly is white; it's fins are 
of a brownifh yellow-colour; and it's fide-lines, 
which run from the gills to the tail, are broad, and 
of a fine black. 
CANALIS. See Tubulus Marinus. 
CANARY BIRD. This bird, which is of 
the fize of a titmoufe, has a fhort bill, thick at the 
bafe, and of a whitifh colour. It has now be- 
come fo common, and continued fo long in a do- 
meftic ftate, that it's native habits, as well as it's 
native country, feem almoft forgotten. Though, 
from the name, it appears that thefe birds came 
originally from the Canary Iflands, we now have 
themi from Germany only, where they are bred 
in great abundance, and exported to different parts 
of Europe. At what period they were introduced 
into this quarter of the world, is not well afcer- 
taincd; but it is certain that, about a century ago, 
they were fold at very high prices, and kept only 
for the amufement of the great: they have, how- 
ever, fince multiplied iri great abundance; and 
their prices have diininiflied in proportion to their 
numbers. In their native iflands, a region equally 
celebrated for the beauty of it's landfcapes and the 
harmony of it's groves, the Canary Birds are of a 
duflcy grey-colour, and fo very different from thofe 
ufually feen in Europe, that ibme naturalifts have 
even doubted whether they are of the fame fpecies. 
With us, they have that variety of colouring com- 
mon to all domeftic fowls ; fome being white, others 
mottled, and fome beautifully fhaded with green: 
but they are more efleemed for their notes than 
their beauty, having high, piercing pipes, as in- 
deed all thofe of the finch tribe have, continuing 
for fome time in one breath without intermifTion, 
then raifing it higher and higher by degrees, with 
great variety of execution. This quality has ren- 
dered the Canary Bird, next to the nightingale, the 
moft celebrated fongfter; and as it is more eafily 
reared than any of the foft-billed birds, and con- 
tinues it's fong throughout the year, it is the mofl 
common tenant of our rooms. Rules have been 
laid down, and copious inflruftions given, for 
breeding thefe birds in a domeftic ftate; v/hich, as 
they partly elucidate their natural hiftory, are here 
fubjoined. 
In chufing Canary Birds, thofe are preferable 
which appear with life and boldnefs, ftanding up- 
right on their perches, like fparrow-hav/ks, and 
not apt to be frightened at every noife. If their 
eyes look chearful and bright, it is a fign of health ; 
but, on the contrary, if they hide their heads under 
their wings, and gather up their bodies, thefe ai-e 
fymptoms of their being diibrdered. The melody of 
the fong fliould alio be regarded in making a felec- 
tion ; for fome will open with the notes of the night- 
ingale, and, after running through a variety of mo- 
dulations, end like the tit-lark; others, again, will 
begin like the fl<;y-lark, and, by foft melodious 
turns, fall into the notes of the nightingale. There 
arelelTons taught this bird in it's domeftic ftate, and 
generally borrowed from others; but it's native 
note is loud, fhrill, and extremely piercing. 
Canary Birds Ibmetimes breed all the year round ; 
but they moft ufually begin to pair in April, and 
to breed in June and Auguft; and thofe are faid 
to be the beft breeders which are produced berw^een 
the Englifii and the French. 
Towards the end of March, a cock and a hen 
fnould be put together in a fmall cage, v/here they 
will betray figns of animofity at firft, but will foon 
become peife£lly reconciled. The room where 
they are kept to breed fhould be fo fituated as to 
let the birds enjoy the morning fun; and the win- 
dows fhould be conftrufted of wire rather than 
glafs, that the air may have free accefs. The floor 
of the room ftiould be kept clean ; and Ibmetimes 
dry gravel, or fifted fand, iliould be fprinkled over 
it. In the cage likev/ife lliould be two windows, 
one at each end ; and feveral perches, at proper dif- 
tances, for the birds to fettle on, as they fly back- 
wards and forwards. A tree in the middle of the 
room would be moft convenient to divert the birds, 
and v/ould fometimes ferve for thepurpofe of build- 
ing their nefts. 
In Germany, where tlie breeding of thefe fong- 
fters forms the occupation of numbers, they build 
a large room in the manner of a barn, with a 
fquare place at each end, and feveral apertures to 
thefe apartments. In thefe they plant feveral forts 
of trees, in which the birds take great delight to 
fing and breed. The bottom of the place they 
ftrew with fand; and on it ftrew rape- feed, chick- 
weed, and groundfel, on which the old birds feed 
while breeding. In the body of the houfe they 
place all forts of ftulf fit for building the nefts ; and 
brooms, one under the other, in all the corners, for 
the birds to build in. Thefe they feparate by par- 
titions from each other, to prevent thofe above 
flying down on, or otherwife incommoding, thofe 
which breed below. The light is alio excluded, 
np bird being fond of it too full on it's neft. 
With us, however, the apparatus is much lefs 
expenfive; a breeding-cage often fufKces; and, at 
moft, a fmall room without any particular pre- 
paration. While the birds are pairing, it is ufual 
to feed them with foft meat; that is, bread, maw- 
feed, a little fcalded rape-feed, and about the third 
part of an egg. The apartment fliould be fur- 
niflied with ftufF proper for conftrufting the nefts, 
fuchasfinehay,v/ool, cotton, and hair. Thefe mate- 
rials fhould be perfectly dry, and then mixed and tied 
together in fuch a manner that the birds may eafily 
pull out what they want. This fhould be hung 
in a proper part of the room; and the male will be 
found to take his turn in building the neft, fitting 
on the eggs, and feeding the young. They are ge- 
nerally two or three days in compleating their nefts ; 
the hen commonly lays five eggs, and in the fpace 
of fourteen days the young are excluded. So 
prolific are thefe birds, that the female will fome- 
times be ready to hatch a lecond brood before the 
firft' are able to quit the neft. On luch occafions, 
flie leaves the neft and the young, in order to pro- 
2 P vide 
