The CANARY (_Dryospiza Canaria_). Three centuries have elapsed since the
CANARY-BIRD first left its native isles to become a citizen of the world,
and now who could recognise in our beautiful golden little favourite the
wild green species from which it is descended? The change reminds us of
the difference sometimes observable between two brothers, one of whom
has experienced all the advantages of society and cultivation, while the
other has remained in his rustic but perhaps happier position. It is to
Bolle we are indebted for the first reliable history of the Canary in
its wild state, as until his time we were only acquainted with the tamed
species. The writers of former times have given us many examples of this
bird, but their accounts have bordered somewhat upon the marvellous. They
were even mistaken as to its original haunts. The naturalists of the
last century were somewhat better informed, but even Buffon has assisted
in the spread of erroneous ideas concerning its history. "Goldfinches
and Citronfinches," says Bolle, "must be contented to descend from the
position they have hitherto occupied as supposed progenitors of the
Canary. Buffon tells us that the Canary belongs to the same species
as the two above-mentioned birds, and has only changed in colour from
difference of climate. Humboldt was the first who could speak with any
authority as having seen the Canary in its wild state, having become
acquainted with it in 1799, during his residence in Teneriffe." More
modern ornithologists have been far from giving this bird the praise
it deserves, and we have to thank Bolle alone for so beautiful and
exhaustive a description of its life and habits, that nothing more
remains to be desired. The following account is drawn from his work.
[Illustration: THE WILD CANARY.]
The writer we quote found this species occupying the seven wooded islands
called the Canaries, and even some parts of Madeira, the latter fact
leading him to suppose that this bird may have lived upon all these
islands before their trees were cut down. It is principally to be met
with in such places as are covered with wood or shrubs, and are situated
near springs of water in the interior, which in summer form brooks,
margined during the entire year by a border of delicate plants; it is
also found in the gardens and houses of the inhabitants, and is quite as
numerous in crowded towns as in the quietest nooks--indeed, it is seen
in all parts, even at an altitude of 5,000 or 6,000 feet above the level
of the sea, except in the thick damp forests formed by laurel and holly
trees, beyond the borders of which Bolle never observed it to settle. It
may be also frequently met with in the vineyards, or in fir plantations
that cover rocky declivities. It is at present uncertain whether this
bird occupies the high ground during the winter, but it has been found
at an altitude of 4,000 feet late in the autumn. The wild Canary, which,
even in its native woods, is called "Canario" both by the Spaniards and
Portuguese, is considerably smaller, and usually more slender than these
we see tamed in Europe. Those, on the contrary, which are kept in a
state of captivity in the Canary Islands have completely retained their
original dimensions by mating with birds newly taken from their wild
state. The adult male wild Canary is greenish yellow upon the back, with
blackish streaks upon the shafts of the feathers, which are so broadly
bordered with bright ashy grey, that the latter might almost be described
as the principal colour. The hinder part of the body is yellowish green,
the upper tail-covers excepted, which are green, edged with ash-grey; the
head and neck feathers are yellowish green with narrow grey borders; the
forehead and two long stripes which run in a circular form over the eyes
to the neck are of a greenish-gold colour, and the throat, upper part of
the breast, and sides of the neck are, on the contrary, of an ash-grey.
The lower portion of the breast is of a paler yellowish tint, the belly
and under tail-covers whitish, the shoulders a beautiful siskin-green,
bordered with pale black and green, the blackish wing quill-feathers are
edged with green, and the blackish-grey tail-feathers sprinkled with
white; the eyes are brown, the beak and feet a brownish flesh colour.
Bolle is of opinion that the plumage above described is only acquired at
the end of the second year. The female is brownish grey upon the back,
with broad black lines along the shafts of the feathers; the neck and
top of the head are similarly coloured, but the ground colour of the
feathers is green. The cheek-stripes are grey, the forehead green, and
the cheeks partly greenish yellow and partly a blueish ash-grey. The neck
is encircled by a line that is yellowish green in front, merging into
blueish ash-grey at the back; this ring, however, is not very distinct.
The shoulders and small upper wing-feathers are a light yellowish green,
the whitish-grey borders of which are broader, but not so beautiful as
in those of the old male bird. The lower part of the breast and belly
are white, and the feathers at the sides of the body brown, with dark
lines at the shafts. The plumage of the young birds is brownish, shading
into yellow upon the breast, with a few touches of lemon-yellow upon the
cheeks and throat. The colours are extremely difficult to describe, owing
to the delicacy with which the different shades are blended, and we may
therefore add that the plumage is almost the same as that with which we
are familiar in what we call our tame green or grey Canaries.
The food of these birds consists principally of green herbs, small seeds,
and delicate juicy fruits--a ripe fig, for instance, with its soft, juicy
flesh and small kernels, is eagerly sought for and enjoyed, as soon as
the too ripe fruit has burst its violet or yellowish-green mantle, for
until this happy time arrives their small and delicate beak is quite
powerless to penetrate the distended skin. A fig-tree, when its fruit
has reached this point of ripeness, is indeed a beautiful sight for
those who have been fortunate enough to see it literally covered by the
various singing birds that are tempted to rob its branches. Blackbirds,
greenfinches, tom-tits, and many others come in variegated confusion
to share the dainty in common with our friend the Canary. Water is
essential to its welfare, as it drinks much, and is fond of bathing very
frequently. These birds pair and begin to construct their nest about the
end of March, never, as far as we have been able to ascertain, fixing
upon a spot that is less than eight feet from the ground, preferring
trees with slender stems, either evergreens or such as don their foliage
early in the spring. Amongst their favourite trees pears and pomegranates
hold the first place. The orange-tree is not often selected, on account
of its bushy crown, and the fig-tree is never employed for this purpose.
The nest is always built in a retired spot, but is easily discovered on
account of the constant coming and going of the male bird. The first
that we saw was found towards the end of March, in a deserted garden of
Villa Arotava, upon a box-tree about twelve feet in height, that stood
above a myrtle hedge. The nest merely rested upon the tree, being built
between the forked portions of a branch, and was beautifully constructed.
It was broad at the base, and very narrow at the top, with a tiny little
entrance. The walls were formed throughout of snow-white wool, woven
together with a few blades of grass. The first egg was laid upon the
first of March, and one was added daily till there were five in all,
this appearing to be the usual number of a brood, though from time to
time we have found but three or four in a nest. The eggs are of a pale
sea-green, spotted with reddish brown, but are sometimes of a uniform
colour; they exactly resemble those of the tame bird, and the time during
which the female sits upon them is the same in both cases. The young
remain in the nest until fully fledged, and for some time after are
tended by both parents, and fed from the crop with great care. The Canary
breeds usually four times in the year, but occasionally only three times.
In July the moulting season commences, after which no more eggs are laid.
During the period of incubation the male bird perches upon a tree near
his mate, and from thence delights her with his song of encouragement
and sympathy. It is a real pleasure to listen to this pretty songster,
as it inflates its throat and pours forth its lay, turning, as it
sings, from one side to another, as though to bathe its glowing breast
in the flood of bright sunlight. All at once it hears the call of its
little companion, and darts with responsive tenderness to perch at her
side--indeed, in our opinion this modestly-attired bird, as it sits
surrounded by all the varied and delicious blossoms of its native trees,
is a far more attractive spectacle than its more brightly-coloured
and elegant brother, with whose appearance in captivity we are all so
familiar. We do not deny that the beauty of the objects that surrounded
these Canaries had much to do with the admiration with which they
inspired us, and many a time they have caused us for a moment to forget
that we were sojourning in a strange land, their song exactly recalling
the voices of the warblers we had heard at home. Much has been said, and
very varied opinions expressed as to the relative merits of the song of
these birds when free or in captivity, and for our part we consider that
such as have been tamed in no way surpass their brethren of the woods,
either in skill or beauty of tone. Whatever trifling modifications may
be noticed, either as regards greater purity of sound or more artistic
performance, the song is unchanged, and proves that though the language
of a country may be entirely lost, yet the notes of these feathered
songsters remain ever the same. We fully admit that our tame Canaries are
at a great disadvantage when compared with their brothers of the groves,
for that which sounds delightful in a dusty room, gains unquestionably a
thousandfold by being heard in a spot where the singer has God's heaven
above him, and masses of roses and jessamine at his feet. We would,
however, by no means lead the reader to suppose that all wild Canaries
are equally gifted; with them, as with all other singing birds, many
degrees of skill and beauty may be observed, and some we have heard would
well stand the test of comparing their notes with the heart-stirring
tones of the nightingale. The flight of the Canary resembles that of
the linnet, being somewhat undulating. In their passage from tree to
tree, the various members of a party fly at some little distance from
each other, uttering their call-note whilst on the wing. In the breeding
season these birds live in pairs, but during the rest of the year they
associate in very large flocks, often, however, dividing into smaller
parties, and passing most of their time upon a chosen spot, spending a
considerable portion of the day upon the ground, and re-assembling after
sunset to pass the night perched in the branches of their favourite trees.
The capture of these birds is, owing to their great sociability,
unattended with any difficulty, and even nestlings will run at the call
of a decoy. In the Canary Islands we have seen linnets or gold-finches
employed for this purpose with success. The snaring of this species
should be carried on very early in the morning, in such spots as are well
watered and rich in fine trees. On these occasions we have always found
much interest in observing, from some place of concealment, the various
movements and lively gestures of the unwary little victims as they run
to meet their fate, and have ourselves seen from sixteen to twenty birds
caught during a few hours; of these the unfledged young formed the larger
proportion. The Canary is a restless creature, and must pass some time
in captivity before it can be taught to lay aside its wild habits. The
birds we have kept began to moult at the latter end of August, and some
of them had not entirely resumed their plumage by the month of December.
These latter we imagined to be the youngest members of the party, and
the yellow colour in all cases was first visible upon their breasts.
[Illustration: THE TAME CANARY.]
As regards the habits of the Canary when tamed, we quote Lenz, a
naturalist well qualified to furnish all the particulars that could
possibly be desired:--"In order to ascertain where the finest specimens
could be obtained, I sought throughout the whole of Germany and its
surrounding countries, not omitting to place myself in correspondence
with various distant portions of the world, and am now fully persuaded
that the choicest birds are to be procured at Andreasdorf, in the Hartz
Mountains, and the neighbouring villages. In the above-mentioned place
almost every house has its breeding-room set apart for their cultivation.
Many families live entirely by this means, and we were told by an
official belonging to the place that Canaries are sold to the value
of 12,000 rix-dollars during the course of the year from this village
alone. It is quite unknown when this business was first established in
the Hartz Mountains, but that locality affords in plenty three great
requisites for its success: wood in such profusion that the cost of
warming the Canaries' apartments throughout the year is very trifling,
abundance of rapeseed, and white bread, the corn for which is grown with
ease in the beautiful meadows that surround the villages. The songs of
the birds reared on this spot are very various, but in no case have we
heard a really bad singer, while many possess voices of unusual power and
sweetness."
In Andreasdorf a bird of uniform pale yellow plumage, and without a
crest, is much preferred, because those that are uniformly tinted cannot
be spoilt by irregular markings, and because the male nestling of this
species is easily recognised on account of its tints about the eyes
and region of the beak; even after the young have left the nest this
distinguishing feature is for some time observable, and the sexes may be
thus readily ascertained. The superfluous female birds are sent early
in the summer upon their travels through the world in the care of an
itinerant salesman, and hundreds of the males are taken in October and
November to be sold by wholesale dealers in large cities, or exported
to Russia and America. The Canaries reared in other neighbouring
districts cannot equal those of Andreasdorf in their song, though they
are very superior to such as are obtained elsewhere. The following
hints may perhaps be useful to our readers in the choice of a tame
specimen:--First, entirely green birds, or such as are brightly marked
with green, are usually very strong, and, in consequence, their voice
is often disagreeably loud; secondly, such as are of a yellowish brown
or dark yellow are weakly, and seldom breed; thirdly, the variegated
kinds do not often have prettily-marked young; fourthly, such as have
red eyes are weak; and, fifthly, should birds with a crest be preferred,
the purchaser must be careful that there are no bare spots on it. In
order to ensure a good singing Canary, it is necessary to procure
such as have parents gifted in that respect, and during the course of
instruction the bird should not be allowed to hear the song of finches,
larks, and nightingales, as the notes which it would thus acquire would
be unnatural, and therefore soon forgotten. In Andreasdorf the people
are most careful only to allow the young to copy the notes of such male
singers as are experts in the art, as should the little pupil, even when
four years of age, hear a bad singer it is pretty sure to imitate all its
faults, and even in old age will sometimes retain this tiresome trick.
The Canary will learn tunes played upon an organ with little difficulty,
but after a time often perform them inaccurately. We have tried the
experiment of placing the pupil with two old males, and have always found
it prefer to imitate the bird whose song gives it the least trouble, and
thus it acquires shakes and trilling notes with much greater ease than
the flute-like tones, or deep rolling song of the nightingale. A Canary
belonging to an artist residing at Bordeaux, possesses the remarkable
faculty of singing whenever it feels disposed with the beak closely
shut, producing its song, which is very clear, apparently from the top
of its throat, and giving the effect, as in ventriloquism, of a voice
proceeding, not from its owner, but from some distance.
The cage of a bird under tuition must be placed in such a position that
it can be constantly visited and instructed, and at such a distance
from the window as will prevent its being disturbed, in which case it
is liable to become irritated, and learn to scream or sing in a very
disjointed manner. The diet should consist entirely of rapeseed and white
bread steeped in water, so that the food being simple, the pupil may not
be distracted from its song by the daintiness of its fare. Green-stuff or
fruit should not be given to it, as producing the same result. The wires
of the cage should be so close together that the bird cannot stretch
its neck between them and look around, and should it appear inclined to
try to peck at such things as bits of paper, thread, &c., these should
be removed and four oats given to it daily, thus affording exercise for
its beak. If the Canary has been always in the habit of living alone it
should not be allowed to see another of its kind, or it will immediately
begin to scream instead of singing gently; but if more convenient to
place it with other males, the cages should be hung close together so
as to enable them to be constantly aware of each other's presence. When
a young bird has been trained in this manner for two years, it may be
considered to have learnt all that it is capable of acquiring. As regards
the cage, great care should be taken that it has no brass or paint about
it; the floor should be strewed with sand, and the bird furnished with
some atoms of clay or crushed egg or snail shells. The perches are best
when made from the wood of the lime-tree. Great precautions are necessary
to prevent the entrance of vermin into the cage, and should they be
detected both cage and bird must immediately be washed with linseed or
rapeseed oil. Except during the breeding season, the females may all be
kept together in a large cage, that is, if they will live in peace,
which is not always the case. The place in which the cage hangs ought
to be kept tolerably warm, but should the bird be exposed to a hot sun
a screen should be provided. In winter the females may be kept without
injury in a room in which the temperature is below freezing-point, but
the male under such circumstances refuses to sing; many experiments
have proved to us that these birds can endure extreme cold if only well
fed, and provided with snow to drink instead of water. Canaries should
be screened from draughts. Some perfumes are very injurious to them;
one evening we placed a blooming _Orchis bifolia_ in a room occupied
by three of these delicate creatures, and in the morning found the two
females dead, and the male so overcome that he was only saved by prompt
attention. The use of the common kind of lamp-oil blackens the feathers,
but does not in other respects injure the bird. As to the most suitable
food, we can only refer to the treatment adopted by the inhabitants of
Andreasdorf, of which we gave a detailed account in a previous page.
The average age attained by the Canary in Malaga is sixteen years, but
we have heard of cases where by great attention they have lived to the
age of twenty. The number of eggs laid by this species is large, and one
reared by us produced as many as twenty-nine within the year; the eggs
are white, and dotted with red at the broad end. The female broods from
about thirteen to fifteen days; the young birds quit the nest soon after
leaving the egg, and feed themselves within a week of that time. Before
a month has passed the feathers, with the exception of those on the tail
and wings, begin to moult, and the change is not completed for some
months. By the ensuing moulting season the young birds have commenced
singing, and the males are then easily recognised by the fluency of their
song, the notes of the young female being quite unconnected. Should it be
desired to render a favourite very tame, no food should be given in the
cage, the bird being thus compelled to take all from the hand. The Canary
is well known to be a most docile pupil, and will learn to exhibit its
skill by spelling words that are repeated to it, selecting the letters
in proper order from an alphabet laid before it; will find the required
pieces of cloth from amongst several others; and has been taught to add
up, multiply, or divide figures by the assistance of numbers given it to
choose from. Others will sing when commanded, pretend to fall dead when
a pistol is fired, then allow themselves to be laid on a little car to
be carried to the grave by two other canaries, and when the journey is
accomplished will jump up and sing a lively song. All these tricks are
taught as with dogs or horses, by keeping them without food until the
order has been obeyed.
* * * * *
THE FINCHES (_Fringillæ_).
The birds belonging to this group are distinguished by an elongated,
round, and somewhat blunt beak, a tarsus of moderate height, narrow and
somewhat pointed wings, and a long and rather excised tail; the body is
elongated and straight, the plumage compact, and in the male bird of
bright colours, which vary considerably according to the time of year.
The female is not so handsome as her mate, and the young, after the first
moulting, resemble their mother. Finches are found all over Europe, in
forests and plantations, or in rocky places covered with a growth of
trees and underwood. They are very sociable, but by no means peaceful
in their habits, as, though they associate freely with other birds,
they are seldom long in their company before quarrelling commences.
Seeds of plants and insects constitute their principal food; the young
are generally fed with insects. All the males of this family are busy
creatures, some of them much valued on account of their vocal powers, and
the little injury they do is fully compensated by their many services,
among which their song should take the first place. These birds are
considered, especially in Germany, as migratory, being much addicted
to long flights, although some are known to remain in the same country
during the whole winter. They usually make their appearance amongst us
early in the year, and build elegant and artistic nests, breeding from
once to three times in the summer, after which they assemble in large
flocks, fly from place to place, and then depart simultaneously for
warmer regions. The favour in which they are held by many is very easily
understood if we consider their really great gifts, sweet song, and the
facility with which they are tamed. They have been the companions of man
from the most ancient times, and in some places are as much valued as
the Nightingale. In certain parts of Germany the Chaffinch is an actual
member of the household, and quite indispensable to the family circle.