SINGING BIRDS. 
r 
der of birds which mao has Jtaken care to pro- 
pagate and maintain •, thefe largely adminider 
to his neceffities and pleafure, and fome birds 
are even capable of attachment to. the perfon 
that feeds them. How far they may be inftruc- 
ted by long affiduity, is obvious from a late in* 
fiance of a Canary Bird which was fhewn in Lon- 
don, and which had been taught to pick up 
the letters of the alphabet, at the word of com*- 
nrand. 
Of all the various fpecies of fingiag birds 
commonly bred in Britain, none feem fo hardy, 
or fo well adapted to the climate, as thofe that 
are the genuine and native produce of the coun- 
try. Many very fine foreign birds when im- 
ported here, or when hatched from a brood ori- 
ginally imported, often degenerate and lofe 
their fpirits, and feldom arrive at that perfec- 
tion of ringing with which their native air in- 
fpires them. The Nightingale and Wood-Lark, 
two of the mod melodious of the mudcal tribe, 
rarely, if ever, thrive in this country. It is 
true they are naturally delicate and tender, and 
extremely fubjed to colds and cramps, and thefe, . 
the final! r exercife they have in a cage contri- 
butes not a little to foder ; beddes, our igno- 
rance of thofe natural medicines which they pick 
up in the fields or woods, often prevents our 
capacity of curing them: but it is not to be 
doubted, that a. change of air has the fame e£- 
