CANARY-BIRD. 
I I 6 
the wings, the tail, which was /till not quite 
formed, and the under part of the body, were 
alio of a whitifh colour, and there were not as 
yet any feathers on the belly from the Jlernum 
to the arms. This young bird had its lower 
mandible entering within the upper, which was 
pretty thick and a little hooked. As the bird 
advances in age, the difpo/ition and /hades of 
the colour change ; the old are di/tingui/hed 
from the young birds by ftrength, colour, and 
fong. The old ones have always the /Iron geld 
and mo ft vivid colours, their feet are rougher, 
inclining to black if they are of the grey race ; 
and the nails are thicker and longer than thofe 
of the young. The female fometimes fo much 
refembles the male, that it is not eafy to diftin- 
guifh the difference at fir ft fight : however, the 
colours of the male are always the bright eh, 
his head a little thicker and longer, the temples 
more of an orange colour, and under the bill a 
flame-coloured yellow, which defcends lower 
than in the female 5 his legs are alfo longer, 
and he begins to record almoft as foon' as he 
can feed hirnfelf. It is true, that there are hens 
which likewife begin thus early ; but taking all 
thefe marks together, we will be at no lofs to 
diftinguifh, even before the firft moulting, the 
cock from the hen. After that time there is 
no more uncertainty, for the cock declares him- 
felf by his fong. 
