276 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

The Linnet. The Linnet is a homely looking little brown
bird with a sweet melodious voice. It frequents commons
and waste lands, where it builds its nest under the cover
of friendly furze bushes, or nearer the habitations of man, in
thick-set hedges. The Linnet is the natural laureate of the
English cottage home.

The -The Canary, as its name implies, comes from
Canary. the Canary Islands, but it has been so crossed
in breeding that it differs very considerably from its original
ancestors. Buffon says:—“ If the nightingale is the chauntress
of the woods, the canary is the musician of the chamber;
the first owes all to nature, the second something to art.
With less strength of organ, less compass of voice, and less
variety of note, the canary has a better ear, greater facility
of imitation, and a more retentive memory; and as the
difference of genius, especially among the lower animals,
depends in a great measure on the perfection of their senses,
the canary, whose organ of hearing is more susceptible of
receiving foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame, and
familiar; is capable of gratitude and even attachment; its
caresses are endearing, its little humours innocent, and its
anger neither hurts nor offends. Its education is easy; we
hear it with pleasure, because we are able to instruct it. It
leaves the melody of its own natural note, to listen to the
melody of our voices and instruments. It applauds, it
accompanies us, and repays the pleasure it receives with
interest; while the nightingale, more proud of its talent, seems
desirous of preserving it in all its purity, at least it appears
to attach very little value to ours and it is with great difi-
culty it can be taught any of our airs. The canary can speak
and whistle; the nightingale despises our words, as well as
our airs, and never fails to return to its own wild-wood
notes. Its pipe is a masterpiece of nature, which human
art can neither alter nor improve; while that of the canary
is a model of more pliant materials, which we can mould