Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 4.djvu/879

Rh CANAL, or (1697-17G8), a Venetian painter, born 18th October 1G97, was bred with liis father, a scene-painter at Venice, and for some time followed his father s line of art. In 1719 he went to Rome, where he employed himself chiefly in delineating ancient ruins, and particularly studied effects of light and shade, in which he became an adept. He was the first painter who made practical use of the camera lucida. On returning home he devoted his powers to views in his native city, which he painted with a clear and firm touch and the most facile mastery of colour in a deep tone, intro ducing groups of figures with much effect. In his latter days he resided some time in England. His pictures, in their particular range, still remain unrivalled. He died on 20th August 1768. Bellotto (commonly named Bernardo) Canaletto, 1724-1780, was his nephew and pupil, and painted with deceptive resemblance to the style of the more celebrated master.  CANANDAIGUA, a town in the United States, capital of the county of Ontario in New York, is situated at the northern end of a lake of the same name, 29 miles S.E. of Rochester by rail, in 42 54 N. lat. and 77 27 W. long. It is a railway junction of some importance, and has a court-house, an academy, and two printing-offices. Its incorporation dates from 1815. The lake is a beautiful sheet of water about 15 miles long, with a breadth varying from less than a mile to more than a mile and a half. It is about 437 feet above Lake Ontario. The population of the town is 4862, and of the township 7274,  CANANORE. See.  CANARA. See.  CANARY (Fringilla canarifi), a well-known species of Coni rostral Bird, belonging to the family Fringillidce or Finches. It is a native of the Canary Islands and Madeira, where it occurs abundantly in the wild state, and is of a greyish-brown colour, slightly varied with brighter hues, although never attaining the beautiful plumage of the domestic bird. It was first domesticated in Italy during the 16th century, and soon spread over Europe, where it is now the most common of cage-birds. During the 350 years of its domestication, the canary has been the subject of careful artificial selection and of crossing with allied species, the result being the production of a bird differing widely in the colour of its plumage, and in a few of its varieties even in size and form, from the original wild species. The prevailing colour of the most admired varie ties of the canary is yellow., approaching in some cases to orange, and in others to white ; while the most robust birds are those which, in the dusky green of the upper surface of their plumage, show a distinct approach to the wild forms. The least prized are those in which the plumage is irregularly spotted and speckled. In one of the most esteemed varieties, the wing and tail feathers are at first black a peculiarity, however, which disappears after the first moulting. Size and form have also been modified by domestication, the wild canary being not more than 5 inches in length, while a well-known Belgian variety usually measures 8 inches. There are also hooped or bowed canaries, feather-footed forms, and top-knots, the latter having a distinct crest on the head ; but the offspring of two such top-knotted canaries, instead of showing an increased development of crest, as might be expected, are invariably bald on the crown. Most of the varieties, however, of which no fewer than twenty- seven were recognized by French breeders so early as the beginning of last century, differ merely in the colour and the markings of the plumage. Hybrids are also common, the canary breeding freely with the siskin, goldfinch, citril, greenfinch, and linnet. Some of the hybrids thus pro duced, are, according to Darwin, almost completely fertile, but they do not seem to have given rise to any distinct breed. It is the female canary which is almost invariably employed in crossing, as it is difficult, if not impossible, to get the females of the allied species to sit on the artificial nests used by breeders. In a state of nature canaries pair, but under domestication the male bird has been rendered polygamous, being often put with four or five females ; still he is said to show a distinct prefer ence for the female with which he was first mated. It is from the others, however, that the best birds are usually obtained. The canary is very prolific, producing eggs, not exceeding six in number, three or four times a year ; and in a state of nature it is said to breed still oftener. The work of building the nest, and of incubation, falls chiefly on the female, while the duty of feeding the young rests mainly with the cock bird. The natural song of the canary is loud and clear; and in their native groves the males, especially during the pairing season, pour forth their song with such ardour as sometimes to burst the delicate vessels of the throat. The males appear to compete with each other in the brilliancy of their melody, in order to attract the females, which, according to Bechstein, always select the best singers for their mates. The canary readily imitates the notes of other birds, and in Germany and especially Tyrol, where the breeding of cajiaries gives employment to a large number of people, they are usually placed for this purpose beside the nightingale. In England they are taught in a similar way to imitate the woodlark. They are also taught to whistle one or two airs, and even to articulate a few words. The female possesses considerable vocal powers, but her notes are weaker than the male s, and her song usually less consecutive.  CANARY ISLANDS,, lie in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the parallels of 27 4 and 29 3 N. lat., and the meridians of 13 3 and 18 2 W. long. The seven principal islands, with their area in English square miles, and their population in 1860, are as follows :

Area ......... 8777 758 3 7l8 5 323 5 326 1 1697 82 2 Population, 93,709 68,970 31,138 15,837 10,996 11,360 5026 Fuerteventura lies nearest to the African coast, the interval being between 50 and 60 miles. Resides these there are many islets, most of which are uninhabited.

History.—There is ground for supposing that the Phoenicians were not ignorant of the Canaries. The Romans, in the time of Augustus, received intelligence of them through Juba, king of Mauritania, whose account has been transmitted to us by the elder Pliny. He men tions &quot; Canaria, so called from the multitude of dogs of great size,&quot; and &quot; Nivaria. taking its name from perpetual snow, and covered with clouds,&quot; doubtless Teneriffe. Canaria was said to abound in palms and pine trees. Both Plutarch and Ptolemy speak of the Fortunate Islands, but their description is so imperfect that it is not clear whether the Madeiras or the Canaries are referred to. There is no farther mention of them until we read of their rediscovery about 1334, by a French vessel driven amongst them by a storm. A Spanish nobleman thereupon obtained a grant of them, with the title of king, from Clement VI., but want of means prevented him from carrying out his project of con quest. Two expeditions subsequently set out from Spanish ports, and returned without having taken possession. At length three vessels, equipped by Jean de Bethencourt, a gentleman of Normandy, sailed from Rochelle in 1400, and bent their course to the Canaries. He landed at Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, but being opposed by the natives, and finding himself deficient in means to effect his purpose, he repaired to the court of Castile, and obtaining from Henry III. a grant of the islands, with the title of 