A TALKING CANARY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 Sin,—Having read your article on " Talking Birds," in the Spectator of October 4th, I think you may like to hear of a canary who had been taught to repeat a phrase, and could do it much more sweetly than a parrot. He was not a German bird, nor of any remarkable breed at all, and was bought when very young, chiefly on account of his beauty. His colour was a bright buff, and he had brown velvety marks on his little crest and on his wings, and an alert, bright manner, not at all shy, although he objected to having people put their hands very near him. He had a loud, but not particularly sweet or fine song. His mistress used to talk to him a good deal, and call him " Pretty," and gradually he began to try to answer and repeat the word. So she used to say, " Sweet, pretty boy," over and over to him, with the intention of his learning it, as she had known of one canary who could say, " Pretty, pretty." He learnt to say this first, as it was easiest for him, being like his own warble, and the word " sweet " was easy also, and like the beginning of his bird-song. " Boy " was more difficult, but after a great many repetitions of " Pretty, pretty," a prolonged and timid " boy " would finally be added, and then the little fellow would burst into an ecstasy of song in delight at his own achievement. He was extremely affectionate and companionable, and if we wished to make him show off and say his little phrase, we had only to leave him alone in one room, and go into another where he could hear us talking but could not see us, and he would begin to repeat his praise of himself in his best manner, and go on until he had coaxed us to praise him in our turn, and come back to him. He lived to the good old age of eleven, and is still very dear to the hearts of all our family.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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