424 Miscellaneous, 



bonnets, baskets, fans, flowers and many other articles being manu- 

 factured from them. 



It is a very remarkable fact that this plant will not flourish on 

 any of the surrounding islands. Many have been planted on other 

 islands, but they merely vegetate, and are widely diiFerent in ap- 

 pearance from the splendid plants of Praslin and Curieuse. 



PKOPAGATION BY HYBRIDS. 



In the autumn of 1838, a male bird, the produce of a Goldfinch 

 and a hen Canary bird, escaped from my aviary, and was not seen 

 again until the following spring, when we were agreeably surprised 

 by the re-appearance of our lost favourite in company with, a Gold- 

 finch. As the pair were inseparable, we at once suspected that they 

 had mated, and in a few days our suspicions were confirmed by see- 

 ing them feed each other and collect materials for building. By 

 watching their movements we soon discovered their nest in a cedar- 

 tree near the aviary. In due time four eggs were laid, which I care- 

 fully removed and placed under a Canary bird ; they however all 

 proved abortive. In a few days after this disappointment a second 

 nest was built by them in the same tree, which we left undisturbed, 

 and the result was favourable ; five birds were hatched, which I took 

 from the nest when about ten days old and brought up by hand ; of 

 this number two cocks and two hens are still living. 



I am aware that hybrids in a state of captivity and restraint have 

 not unfrequently proved prolific when brought to pair with a mate 

 of either of their parent stocks ; but I do not remember that I ever 

 heard an instance of an animal of pure breed in a wild and unre- 

 strained condition by choice selecting an hybrid mate. 



The following are the results of my experiments made during this 

 spring and summer. 



Early in the spring I paired one of these young cock birds (which 

 I have described as being three parts Goldfinches to one part Canary 

 bird) with a hen Canary ; a nest was soon made and three eggs laid ; 

 the cock bird, however, destroyed the nest, but I succeeded in saving 

 the eggs, and placed them under a Canary bird : of this number one 

 young bird was hatched, which is now full-fledged and in good 

 health. After this partial failure a second nest was built, which 

 shared the fate of the former one ; I then removed the cock bird and 

 turned him into the aviary, when he almost immediately selected 

 another Canary bird as his mate. Upon my putting this pair into 

 a breeding- cage a nest was formed in less than a week, and four eggs 

 were laid ; I had now taken the ])recaution to line the nest basket 



