belly; black legs; and a tinge of red on the throat, sides, and feathers under the wings. As it is very fond of cherries, it bears in Kent the name of the Cherry-sucker. It, however, generally feeds on insects, which it catches on the wing. In general, it is supposed to have no song, but it has been heard to warble very pleasingly, with a note between that of the wagtail and the golden-crested wren. The female lays four or five eggs, in a carelessly constructed nest, and the parent birds watch over their offspring with the tenderest care.

THE Canary bird or Canary Finch, was originally peculiar to those islands from whence the name is derived. They appear to have been first brought into Europe about the middle of the fourteenth century, but they are now so commonly bred in our own country, that they may be easily procured. It is also to be found in the woods of Italy and Greece. It is about five inches and a half in length; the bill is of a pale flesh colour; the plumage is in general yellow, more or less mixed with gray, and in some with brown on the upper parts; the tail is somewhat forked; the legs are a pale flesh colour. In the Canary islands, the plumage is a dusky gray. The song is composed

either of the nightingale's or titlark's notes; the bird in its wild state having no song of its own.

There are twenty-nine varieties, and many more might be added to the list. In the places fitted up for the rearing and breeding these charming birds, we are delighted to see the workings of nature exemplified in the choice of their mates, building their nests, hatching and rearing their young, and in the passionate ardour exhibited by the male in assisting his faithful mate in collecting materials for her nest, in arranging them for her accommodation, in providing food for her offspring, or in chanting his lively and amorous songs during every part of the important business. The Canary will breed freely with the goldfinch and linnet, and the produce is a beautiful bird called a Mule. It also admits, but unwillingly, the chaffinch, yellow bunting, and even the sparrow, though with still more difficulty. In all these instances, excepting the first, the pairing succeeds best, when the female Canary is introduced to the male of the opposite species.

The Canary Finch is a social and familiar bird, and is capable of contracting an attachment for the person to whom it belongs. It will perch on the shoulder of its mistress, and peck its food from her hand or her mouth. It is also capable of being taught still more extraordinary feats. In 1820, a Frenchman exhibited four and twenty Canary birds in London, many of which he said were from eighteen to twenty-five years of age. Some of these balanced themselves, head downward, on their shoulders, having their legs and tail in the air. One of them, taking a slender stick in its claws, passed its head between its legs, and suffered itself to be turned round, as if in the act of being roasted. Another balanced itself, and was slung backward and forward on a kind of slack rope. A third was dressed in military uniform, having a cap on its head, wearing a sword and pouch, and carrying a firelock in one

claw: after some time sitting upright, this bird, at the word of command, freed itself from its dress and flew away to the cage. A fourth suffered itself to be shot at, and, falling down as if dead, to be put into a little wheelbarrow, and wheeled away by one of its comrades; and several of the birds were at the same time placed upon a little firework, and continued there quietly, and without alarm, till it was discharged.

THIS favourite bird, which is universally admired for the melody of its voice, it being one of the sweetest of our warblers, is in length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, five inches and a half; the bill is a bluish gray, the eyes are hazel, the upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are of a dark reddish brown, the edges of the feathers pale; the under parts are of a dirty reddish white; the breast is deeper than the rest, and in spring becomes a very beautiful crimson, except in the female, whose breast is marked with only stripes of brown; the sides are spotted with brown likewise; the tail is brown, with white edges, except the two middle feathers which have reddish margins, it is somewhat forked; the legs are brown.

The Linnet is so much esteemed for the sweetness of his singing, that, by many persons, he is thought to excel all small birds. He has certainly a curious fine note of his own, little inferior to the most celebrated birds, and may be taught likewise to pipe or whistle the song of any other bird; but as his own is so good, that trouble is unnecessary. He is, however, very apt in learning, and if brought up from the nest, will take the woodlark's or canary bird's song to perfection. In some instances he has been said to pronounce words with great distinctness.

The cock Linnet may be known, either old or young, by two marks; first, the feathers on his back are much browner than those of the hen; secondly, by the white on the three or four longest feathers of the wing: if it appear clear, bright, and broad, and reach up to the quills, it is a sure sign of a cock bird: for the white in the wing of the hen is much less, fainter and narrower. In spring, too, as we have already mentioned, the breast of the cock is crimson.

These birds commonly build in a thick bush, or hedge, and sometimes among furze bushes, &c. making a small, pretty nest; the outside, of bents, dried weeds, and straw, and the bottom all matted together; the inside, of fine soft wool, mixed with down stuff, gathered from dried plants, with a few horsehairs, made exceedingly neat and warm: on which she lays four, and sometimes five white eggs, with fine red specks, especially at the blunt end; and has young ones by the middle of April or beginning of May. The young may be taken at ten days old, or sooner; it is necessary, however, that they should be kept very warm, clean, and fed at least once in every two hours. Their food at first should consist of rape seed, soaked eight or ten hours in water, and afterwards boiled in a little milk. They are particularly fond of linseed, from which it is supposed, they derive their name.

THE SPARROW.

THE Sparrow is one of the most familiar of the winged race, constantly fluttering round our habitations, and even in the streets, and is seldom absent from our orchards and gardens. At the same time it is so crafty that it is not easily ensnared. In its wild state it has no note, but, if taken young, it may be taught to sing. It is a courageous little creature, and will undauntedly combat with birds that are ten times bigger than itself. Occasionally it will intrude into pigeon houses, and, in spite of the opposition of the old pigeons, will force open the naked craw of the young ones, and feed on the half-digested grain. It is universally hated by farmers as injurious to their rural economy; yet its utility has been clearly proved to overbalance its depredations for it has been known that a single pair of Sparrows, during the time they have to feed their young, have destroyed on an average every week between three and four thousand caterpillars, besides a variety of winged insects, which would be the parents of myriads of caterpillars.

These birds generally build their nests under the eaves of houses, or in holes in the walls; and the affection of the female towards her young is equally