ladies’ department. 
355 
Casks’ 5Dapartment. 
CHAMBER BIRDS.—No. 1. 
Canaries .—These birds, from their beautiful 
plumage, elegant shape, singular capacity, and at¬ 
tractive familiarity, as well as the charms of their 
melodious song, have always been agreeable to the 
fancier. Besides, an admirable opportunity is pre¬ 
sented of observing the difference of character and 
temperament which exist in these as in others of the 
species. Some we find melancholy, others cheer¬ 
ful ; some angry, others peaceful ; some intelligent, 
others dull; some industrious, others idle; some 
greedy, others frugal. But they have chiefly made 
themselves beloved by their animated, powerful, 
and varied song, which lasts almost throughout the 
whole year, and with some even during the time of 
moulting. 
These birds are also distinguished by 
their correctness of ear, the remarkable 
skill they possess of imitating all tones, 
and their excellent memory. Not only 
do they imitate the notes of other birds, 
which they greatly improve by mixing 
them with their own, but they will even 
learn to utter short words with some 
degree of correctness. * * 
These birds, which are now kept and 
reared throughout the whole of Europe, 
and even in Russia and Siberia, as well 
as in various parts of North and South 
America, in an unadulterated state, are 
natives of the Canary Islands, where 
they breed in pleasant valleys, and on 
the delightful banks of small rills, or 
streams. They were known in Europe 
as long ago as the beginning of the six¬ 
teenth century, as we are told, concern¬ 
ing their arrival, that, “ A ship, which, 
in addition to other merchandize, had a 
multitude of Canaries on board, that 
were consigned to Leghorn, was 
wrecked on the coast of Italy, and the 
birds, thereby obtaining their liberty, 
flew to the nearest land.” This hap¬ 
pened to be Elba, where they found so 
propitious a climate, that they multi¬ 
plied, without the intervention of man, 
and probably would have naturalized 
themselves, had not the wish to possess them been 
so great as to occasion them to be hunted after 
until they were entirely extirpated. In Italy, there¬ 
fore, we find the first tame Canaries, where they 
are still raised in great numbers. At first, their 
rearing in Europe was attended with considerable 
difficulty, partly because the mode of treating these 
delicate strangers was not sufficiently understood, 
but principally because males, chiefly, and not 
females, were introduced. In their wild and un¬ 
domesticated state, their song is unvaried, as with 
most other birds, less melodious, of fewer notes, 
and uttered at longer intervals than with us. 
The original grey color of this bird, which 
merges into green beneath, has, by means of domes¬ 
tication, climate, and intermixture with other birds, 
become so multifarious, that Canaries may now be 
met with of almost every hue; but grey, yellow, 
white, blackish and reddish-brown, are the prevailing 
colors, which are individually seen in every degree 
of shade, or combination, and thus present innumer¬ 
able differences. Those which are of a blackish- 
grey, or greyish-brown, above, with greenish-yel¬ 
low beneath, like a greenfinch, are the most com¬ 
mon, generally the strongest, and approach ths 
most closely to the original color of their primo¬ 
genitors. The yellow and white ones have usually 
red eyes, but are more delicate. The chestnut- 
colored are the most rare, and in strength and 
length of life are intermediate. The colors of most 
Canaries consist of a mixture of these, and that bird 
is the most prized the more regularly it exhibits the 
combination of these various shades. That which 
is most generally admired, at present, is one with 
yellow, or white, upon the body, and of a dun-yellow 
j color on the wings, head, and tail. Next in degree of 
I beauty, is that which is of a golden yellow, with a 
Canaries and Nest.—Fig. 88.' ’ 
black, blue, or blackish-grey head, and similar wings 
and tail. There are also blackish or grey ones, with 
yellow heads, or with a ring about the neck, white, 
with brown and black markings, ashy-grey, almost 
black, with a yellow breast, and white head and 
tail, all of which have a prominent value. Others, 
which are irregularly marked, and are variegated, or 
mottled, are less esteemed. 
The Canary bird, fig. 88, is five inches in length, 
of which the tail comprises two inches and a quar¬ 
ter; the beak is five lines long, stout, sharply 
pointed, and whitish; the legs are flesh-colored, 
and eight lines high. The female is scarcely to be 
distinguished from the male, but the latter has 
generally deeper and brighter colors ; the head is 
rather thicker ; the body, in general, more slender 
throughout; and the temples and the space around 
the eyes, are always of a brighter yellow than the ( 
rest of the body .—Americanized from the German • 
