The canary, its varieties, management and breeding, with portraits of the author's own birds

Front matter

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Chapter I. A Plea Pop The Canary

OST persons,” says Mr. Slaney in his interesting outline of the smaller British birds, “ are acquainted with three birds — a sparrow, a robin, and a blackbird. Some beside know a skylark ; as to the rest, they are often confounded under the general and rather degrading name of small birds. We have sometimes,” he continues, Cf asked our fair friends if they knew as many of the smaller birds as they could count on their fingers ! They generally answered confidently in the affirmative, but could seldom get much beyond one hand ! ”

The ignorance here complained of is not limited to the wild species only, but it is equally true, we fear, of the tame. Take, for example, the subject of the following pages. Everybody supposes that they know a canary when they see it ; but bring their knowledge to a practical test by a few plain questions, or set before them a bird whose plumage in any material degree differs from the ordinary yellow bird familiar to us all, and the chances are ten to one that, like the fair friends alluded to by Mr. Slaney, they will soon discover their mistake. I think I shall not be far wrong when I say that the only idea which most people have of our little favourite is limited to the bare fact that it is a yellow bird having sometimes a patch of black on its head and wings, and singing lustily in its cage. But never was there a greater mistake. No bird represents such a variety in its plumage, or exhibits so great a diversity in its shape. No one, we are bold to affirm, seeing the lizards, the cinnamon, or even a good green bird for the first time, unless a scientific naturalist, would ever dream that they were canaries.

An amusing illustration of the truth of this remark occurred to ourselves only a short time ago. Having placed a beautiful cinnamon or fawn-coloured bird that we had just purchased and brought home upon the table, a party of ladies soon afterwards called, and became quite enchanted with the singularly delicate hue of its plumage, but never for a moment suspected that it was a canary. Perceiving their ignorance, some of the children, on their inquiring its name and country, maliciously replied that it was a foreign bird called Sylph, which in one sense was true enough, for I need scarcely tell any of my young readers that canaries came originally from the Fortunate Isles, while the name we had given to the bird in question was, as our youngsters declared, “ Sylph.” With this explanation they were perfectly satisfied. When, after keeping up the joke for some time, you may judge of their surprise on being

A Plea for the Canary.

told tliat in reality it was only a very common bird called a canary, and that the name we had given it was only its own familiar designation amongst ourselves. Of course they heartily laughed at the deception that had been temporarily practised upon them, and confessed their ignorance upon the subject, though they had all lived in the country, and therefore more or less supposed to be familiar with birds, and what is more, had even been keepers of canaries themselves ! The same thing has occurred over and over again with our lizards, and a beautiful wild specimen brought from the island of St. Helena, portraits of which are hereafter given. Indeed, except those engaged in the trade, or in the breeding of prize birds for exhibition, few people are aware of the many very different breeds and beautiful varieties which are to be found amongst these charming birds.

Much has been said and written during the past few years to create a taste for the aquarium and the crawling, cold-blooded inhabitants of the water. With the upper classes there was quite a mania for awhile to make an acquaintance with the stickleback and the newt, and every one was professing an interest in the gyrations of a goggling gulping carp, or the mountebank antics of a lively minnow ! Well! chacun a son gout — every one to his taste, as the French say. These, to some minds, may be interesting for a time ; but give me an aviary of canaries, whose beautiful colour, elegant form, charming docility, and sweet song, at once charm the eye, delight the ear, and enlist my sympathies ! To my mind there is no comparison between the two, and I

The Canary.

really wonder the latter has never become the fashion of the day. When canaries were first introduced into England, they were so highly prized that none but the most wealthy could afford to purchase them ! In the days of Queen Elizabeth they appear to have been appreciated as they deserved, but in the days of Queen Victoria, — who, however, we believe is a notable exception to the general rule, and who has, we understand, a beautiful collection at Osborne — except by the lower class of people who breed them for sale or show, these beautiful birds seem to be little admired or regarded ! How seldom do we see more than one in a house of the middle classes, how rarely do we meet Avith any number collected together in an aviary or room for the purpose of breeding amongst those rvho could rvell afford to do so ! Why is this ? Has our pretty favourite lost anything of its original beauty of plumage by its domestication amongst us ? Is it less elegant in form, less docile in its temper, or less loving and Avinsome in its manners, than Avere its progenitors three hundred years ago 1 By no means ; the beauty of its plumage, the elegance of its figure, the docility of its disposition, the charming familiarity Avhich induces it to nestle without fear or reserve beside us, to say nothing of its melodious song Avhich has of late years been Avell nigh cultivated to perfection, are as striking and prominent as ever. Truly its Avinsome Avays and interesting hahits claim and deserve the attention of all classes of society, and if bestoAved, Ave venture to say Avould unquestionably afford a never-ending round of innocent amusement and delight.

A Plea for the Canary.

Strange, passing strange, that this beautiful bird is not oftener found in the homes of the middle and upper classes of society than it is. How many a sitting-room opening towards the morning sun, whose walls are now hare of any ornament, either from pictures or bookcase, might he adorned and enlivened by a miniature aviary between the chimney and the window, like the one hereafter to be described. To the sick, or to the invalid obliged to pass the long dreary months of winter within the house, how many an otherwise gloomy hour would their presence lighten, how much interesting occupation and unfatiguing labour would they afford and call into exertion ? How attractive and useful, too, whereever there are children, would such an aviary he in a nursery, especially in large towns, where little or no opportunity for studying the habits of birds is presented ! To watch them build their nest, patiently brood over their eggs, and hatch and feed their callow young, are operations which are not only intensely interesting to every child, but may be turned with manifest advantage to great practical account. Here they may silently learn those invaluable lessons of kindness, and love, and patience, which shall fit them for the trials of after life, and, it may be, be imprinted on their hearts for ever ! Who can tell what consideration for the wants and forbearance with the faults of others these little songsters may be the means of instilling into the youthful mind thus privileged to watch them in their daily course ? Who can say what stimulus and encouragement such an aviary might not often afford to the study of every department of natural history, which

The Canary.

but for it might never be undertaken ! Seeing and knowing little, many a child, we feel assured, Avould naturally be led to desire to know more. Books thereon, as a natural consequence, would be sought after with avidity, and read with profit and delight, which but for the canaries might probably lie idle and unlooked into on the shelf. As the cost is so trifling, the pleasure so great, the interest never ceasing, and the effect so good, wre feel persuaded that the idea only requires to be suggested for many to carry it out in practice in their nurseries and homes. At any rate, should any be led to make the experiment, we can promise them a golden mine of amusement and delight, which those who have never tried it would little credit or suspect. As Robert Nicholl sang of its kindred finch — the linnet — so may we, with equal or greater truth, say of the canary :

“Some humble heart is sore and sick with grief.

And straight thou earnest with tliy gentle song,

To wile the sufferer from its hate or wrong,

By bringing nature’s love to his relief.

Thou churmest by the sick child’s window long Till aching pain itself he wooed to sleep ;

And when away have vanished flower and leaf.

Thy lonely wailing voice for them doth weep —

Linnet, wild linnet !

“ God saw how much of woe, and grief, and care,

Man’s faults and follies on the earth would make -r And thee, sweet singer, for His creature’s sake.

He sent to warble wildly everywhere.

And by our souls to love to wake.

Oh ! blessed wandering spirit ! unto thee Pure hearts are knit, as unto things too fair And good and beautiful of earth to be —

Linnet ! wild linnet ! ”

COMMON CANARY

Origin of our own Canaria.

Chapter II. Origin Of Our Own Canaria

IKE many a greater undertaking, our canaria had its origin in a very small beginning. Its first traces, I believe, are to be found in a wellmeant gift of a kind granny to my daughter Judy, who, I may as well say, once for all, was evidently “ born to love pigs and poultry,” and which consisted of a common yellow canary purchased in the market of my native town. Had I been able to foresee the result of this very questionable action, it is more than likely that I should have exclaimed, with Mr. Jorrocks, of famous foxhunting celebrity and renown : — <c Confound all presents wot eats while she, I think, would hardly have consented to be the innocent cause of such a large expenditure in cages, birds, and seed, as that which has since taken place. Happily, however, for Judy, I was no seer, and granny was not gifted, like the famous heroine of Lucknow, with second sight. The purchase

was made on the eve of our return home from an annual visit we pay into “ the shires and back dicky was brought to the smoky city of Manchester, where for many years it was our lot to be located. Of this bird I remember little, save that he was a good yellow, possessed a very amiable disposition, and was a most uproarious songster. Indeed, so noisy was he during lessons, that my wife wras obliged to cover his cage with a cloth before ever she began to teach, which the children, of course, voted a great shame. He lived a

The Canary.

bachelor’s life, all alone, for about three years, when he (lied in moulting, whilst we were all away from home in the autumn, probably from neglect, being left in charge of a servant, who knew little and cared less about the requirements of birds under these trying circumstances. Great was the grief amongst our youngsters at this untoward event, for such a thing as his dying had never entered their heads, and they probably expected that he would live for ever. To soothe their grief and repair the loss, on a fine Saturday morning towards the end of October, I and the three elder children, having set out on our usual marketing expedition, paid a sauntering visit to the bird fanciers’ stalls. Here we loitered about for some time, more out of curiosity than with any idea of buying, when we suddenly found ourselves standing before an old man’s cage, who soon endeavoured to turn the occasion to account by soliciting our attention to the quality of his wares, and setting them off to the best advantage he could. Though the day was somewhat cold and bleak, and the birds were starved, we saw enough to make us listen to his tale, and finally to make a purchase of what seemed to us then a pretty little curiously-marked grey hen canary, but about which I shall have more to speak in another chapter, leaving behind another singularly coloured companion, which, after all, perhaps, was the prettier, and certainly the more rare bird of the two. The one we purchased was, to a fancier’s eye, by no means a good specimen of her kind, her feathers being all tipped with white, which they should not be, and her general colour being, instead of pure grey.

Origin of our own Canaria.

tinged here and there with a yellowish green. Still, for all that, she was a very pretty bird, and we were all highly delighted with her purchase. We took her home, as usual, in a little paper bag, which, I may observe, is by far the best way of carrying a bird you purchase without a cage, and always to be had at the nearest grocer’s shop, when she evinced a most amiable disposition, and soon became as tame as our original dickey himself. Having thus got a hen canary, the idea not very unnaturally occurred, how nice it would be to have some young ones ! The thought was so captivating to the youngsters, that it soon took firm hold of their minds, and culminated into an intense desire to make the attempt. But how was this to be done ? Our house was so small, and our family so large, there was no room for such a thing, seeing that canaries, when breeding, require not only a goodly space, but plenty of light, and perfect quiet. The only room in the house fit for the purpose was clearly the children’s nursery, and the place where the birds ought to be was already taken up with bookshelves, on which were piled, besides books, innumerable boxes and toys, including a fourroomed doll’s house, which they had made and fitted up out of so many old tea-chests they had begged for the purpose, and which almost reached up to the ceiling. Well, what was to become of these? There was no other visible place for them in the nursery. Oh, this should be no obstacle in the way, they replied, if I would only let them have an aviary, and remove the books to the other side of the room, they would do all the rest. Their much-loved doll’s house should be

The Canary.

stowed away in their bedroom, and all the other boxes should be put into drawers at once, if I would only consent. Well, I thought, the thing is feasible, and will please me almost as much as the children. So we set to work with a hearty good will ; the things were soon stowed away and the bookshelves put up elsewhere, leaving two of the latter to form the floor and top of our proposed aviary. I then ordered a piece of nicely- tinned wirework, four feet ten inches long by two and a half feet deep, to be made, having three sliding doors, so placed as that one should be in the centre near the bottom, and one near the top at either end, so that the birds might be readily cleaned and fed, and their nest-boxes be changed when required. And now we were all impatience to begin. The wire was faithfully promised by the end of the week ; but, alas ! Saturday arrived, and yet no appearance of any wire. Off we set the first thing on Monday morning, to know the reason why, when again it was faithfully promised the next day. That day came, and another, and another, but still no wire. A second Saturday night, and we felt sure it would come. Every footstep that passed by the street-door was listened to with bated breath, and every rap sent the hearts of the children, who were now wound up to the highest pitch of excitement, straight into their mouth ; but still all ended in disappointment, and they were again obliged to go to bed without that long-expected wire. A second Monday sees us at the rascally wire-maker’s door, who we now discover to have been all along paying his devotions to his favourite sod Bacchus, and too fuddled with drink to work. This

O J

It

Origin of our own Canaria.

was past all endurance, so we left word that if it was not completed and brought home by the next day, we should give the order to some one else, which at once produced the desired result. The wire arrived late one night, and I was fain to buckle to, and put it up al once, for until this was done the children, I soon saw,, would let me have no peace.

Although abhorring all manual labour from my youth, and seldom taking a tool in my hands, lest, as they say of the monkeys and their talking, I should be made to work, I accordingly commenced my task. Though a seemingly simple operation, it took me longer than I expected, so that the children had to be sent off to bed in the middle of the work ; and it was nearly twelve o’clock before I had brought my labours to an end. Two shelves of wood, little more than a foot wide,, and four feet six inches long, placed against the wall between the chimney corner and a large bay window opening to the morning sun, formed the floor and roof of our miniature aviary ; four narrow iron stanchions placed at equal distances apart, form so many supportsfor the latter, and at the same time tend to strengthen the wire work to which they are bound ; and thus the whole thing is complete for the trifling sum of twelve shillings.

On coming down stairs the next morning, the children were enchanted at the sight. The long-wished-for desire of their hearts was no longer an airy vision of the imagination, like the castles and palaces of some fairy tale,, but a great reality. Aladdin himself could not have been more delighted with the view of his enchanted'

The Canary.

palace than were they with the vision of this palatial residence for their dickies. The long-drawn lines of the brightly-tinned wire shining in the morning sun, contrasting in strong relief with the dark iron stanchions to which the wire was bound, gave a charm and airy lightness to the whole, which, exceeded the utmost bounds of their conception. They at once expressed intense satisfaction and delight at this happy realisation of their wishes, which thus formed a handsome, spacious, and useful aviary, at a very trifling cost, fit for the habitation of the very choicest specimens of canary land.

To transfer the birds to their new habitation, and see how they would look, was but the work of a few minutes ; and the only regret was we had not another above it. This, we all thought, would not only be extremely useful for the birds, but greatly improve the appearance of the whole. As it would only require another shelf, and a piece of wirework similar to the other, we decided at once to double the size of our aviary, which accordingly was soon done.

As all would clearly have to be taken down and rearranged, we think it would decidedly add to the beauty of the whole, if in place of the dark claret-coloured paper with which the wall at the back was then covered, a light blue marble-coloured paper was substituted instead. This we thought would certainly contrast better with, and set off to greater advantage, the yellow plumage of the birds, as well as make it more cheerful and light. Accordingly, having procured the necessary paper, to my other accomplishments I add that of paperhanger for the nonce, with Judy for my help. Though I had not served a regular apprenticeship to the trade,. I never doubted for a moment hut that we should soon accomplish the task, and was somewhat surprised to find out that, like many other things in the Avorld, it was not so easy as it seemed.

The woodwork being put up first, it seemed the quickest and most natural way to cut the paper the whole length required at once, rather than into a number of short strips from the roof to the floor. This I accordingly did ; and having often seen how the regular practitioners paste a whole piece before putting it on the wall, I thought I would do the same. So, spreading my paper on the window-seat, I soon put on the necessary paste to my complete satisfaction. Thus far all was well, and I had only to put it up against the wall close by and dab it down with a cloth. But, alas ! how true is the saying, “ There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.” Taking hold of the upper corner of one end, Judy doing the same at the other, I just succeeded in raising it to the desired place, when, horror of horrors ! the whole, from its weight, gave way in our hands, tearing in all directions. As fast as we attempted to save one part, another began to go ; our fingers thus got all over paste, and we made an awful mess of the little we managed to preserve, till at length, seeing the hopelessness of our task, we gave it up as a bad job, when a general collapse ensuing, the whole mass fell to the ground in one irreparable heap of rubbish and ruin ! Here was a practical proof, indeed, of the proof of the proverb which says, “ the more haste.

The Canary.

the worst speed,” at the same time that it showed us what is very often hard to helieve, viz., that we were not quite so clever as we thought. Though certainly discomfited, we were not dismayed, but gaining wisdom by experience, we manfully set about our work again, •singing the while —

“ The web ’mong the leaves The spider weaves

Is like the gay charm Hope hangs o’er men;

Though often she see3 ’Tis broke by the breeze.

She spins the bright tissue again.”

Instead, however, of trying to do it all at once, we •cut our paper according to the depth required. These short lengths were soon put up by mamma, who now came to our aid. Slips of plate-glass, about two inches deep, were fitted inside the bottom of the wirework, so as to take out at pleasure, through which the birds looked very pretty, and could always be seen, whilst they kept the sand and seed from falling out and being scattered about the room. A cut-glass vase, in each compartment, to hold their water to drink, and to bathe in, gave additional lustre to the whole, which, thus finished, became quite as ornamental to the room as it was useful for the purpose we intended.

Having thus completed our aviary, we naturally began to wonder how many young ones we should have, how pretty they would look just popping their heads over the sides of their nest, and how charming it would be to see them first hop abroad in the world. Already visions of profit began to rise before our eyes as we began to calculate the numbers we should have

Origin of our own Canaria.

to dispose of, and the prices they would unquestionably fetch. Supposing, we argued, we had four pairs of birds in each aviary, and each pair bred twice a year only, and reared four young birds each time, a very moderate calculation, we considered, seeing that many writers put them down as breeding generally three and sometimes four times a season, and having five and six at a brood, and supposing that each pair only fetched five shillings, then it was pretty clear that we should not only pay our expenses, hut realise a considerable profit besides. Thus, like the enthusiastic milkmaid in the fable, did we hoist our basket of eggs upon our heads, and count our chickens before they were hatched. The birds, however, were not yet bought that were to produce these golden dreams; and the question was, how and by whom the necessary capital was to be raised. Judy, as the owner of dicky, wanted to go shares with me in all that were bought, so that she might have an interest in each pair, and share in the profits they were to bring. Agnes was of the same mind, and wished to do the same, while Gerty was indifferent, Letty too prudent, and poor Polly, as usual, unable. This, however, I thought would dip too deeply into their exchequer ; so I compromised the matter by allowing the two former to advance ten shillings each from their own funds, and to beg another ten for the purpose from their granny, and I would find the remainder, the whole to be divided into so many shares, according to the capital ultimately required, and each receiving a proportionate amount of the profits that should be made. Thus Judy, Agnes, and myself, entered into a

The Canary.

sort of joint-stock partnership with limited liability for the purpose of breeding canaries — an arrangement which suited all parties, and gave great satisfaction to each. The firm being thus completed, we entered upon the business with great zest, having full confidence in the soundness of our project, and deriving from it much immediate pleasure, which was certain to increase as the spring came on, if it did not actually realise our most sanguine expectations of profit.

“ Where is the troubled heart consigned to share Tumultuous toils, or solitary care,

Unblest by visionary thoughts that stray To count the joys of fortune’s better day ?

Oh ! vainly wise, the moral muse hath sung.

That suasive hope hath but a syren tongue !

True, she may sport with life’s untutor’d day,

Nor heed the solace of its last decay;

The guileless heart her happy mansion spun.

And part, like Ajut, never to return !

“ And yet methinks, when wisdom shall assuage The grief and passions of our greener age,

Though dull the close of life, and far away Each flower that hailed the dawning of the day;

Yet o’er her lovely hopes, that once were dear.

The time-taught spirit, pensive, not severe,

With milder griefs her aged eye shall fill,

And weep their falsehood, though she loves them still.”

THE WILD CANARY

THE EMPEROR,

The Wil'd Canary — The Emperor.

Chapter III. The Wild Canary The Emperor

HE picture on the opposite page is an accurate drawing, both as to form and colour, of a beautiful wild canary now in our aviary, and which, from his being brought from the island of St. Helena, we call the Emperor. He has now just got over his second autumnal moulting, and, to a casual observer hears little resemblance to the ordinary yellow domesticated bird, with which we are all familiar. His beak and legs are shining black, and much more powerful than those in the tame species, as he will soon let you know if you take him in your hand. His body also is much stouter, approaching more the fulness of the linnet than the tapering slenderness of the golden-yellow birds bred in England and Belgium. • No one, looking at him for the first time, would suppose that the bright grass green of his back, with darker wing coverts and tail, had any alliance with any of the varieties commonly found at home. Yet such is the case. All writers agree that their natural colour is a greyish brown, merging into yellowish green in the under parts of the body. “ In their native state,” says a writer in the ‘ Popular Cyclopeedia,’ “ they are of a dull and uniform green, and exhibit none of that richness and variety which are so much admired in the tame ones.” Our bird is anything but dull in his colours ; on the contrary, both the green on his back and the yellow of his belly are oi

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the most vivid kind, the former not having the least mixture of brown usually found in the green birds bred at home. His song, too, is entirely different from the tame variety, nothing like so loud or piercing, but more approaching the subdued warbling of the goldfinch or linnet. Indeed it is acknowledged on all hands, that the song of our domesticated birds is altogether artificial, being little else than a compound of notes learned from other birds.

It was about the beginning of the sixteenth century that the canary became first known in Europe, when a ship having a large number on board, and destined for Leghorn, was wrecked on the coast of Italy. The birds having regained their liberty, flew to the nearest land, which happened to he the island of Elba, where they found so mild a climate that they built their nests there, and became very numerous. But the desire to possess such beautiful songsters led to their being hunted after, until the whole wild race was quite destroyed. In Italy, therefore, we find the first tame canaries, and here they are still reared in great numbers. Their original locality, however, was the Canary Isles, from whence, I suppose, they derive their name On the hanks of small streams, in the pleasant valleys of these lovely islands, they build their nest in the branches of the orange-trees, of which they are exceeding fond ; as an instance of this, even in this country birds have been known to find their way into the greenhouse, and select the fork of one of the branches of the orange-tree on which to build their nest, seeming to he pleased with the sweet perfume of its blossoms.