94 So)iic Hybrid Records. 



Some Hybrid Records — Culled from Earlier Volumes 



of " B. N." 



Compiled By \Vi:sr,Kv T. I'a(;k. l^'.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



In lookint;' throui^h some past volumes of Bird Notks 

 recently, it struck me that a few notes of some of the hyhrids 

 referred to therein would j^reatly interest present readers. 



1. Spice Bird-Bengalkse : 1. B. Wilson writes: 



" I liavc 1)red the above cross this season (1902) in riiy bii'l-rooni, tlie 

 " fa'.hcr JK-ing ;i Spice-hird and lite motlicr a Bengalese . the young; birds 

 " are Ijiovvn for the most jiart, l)ut tlieir coverts are l)cginning to have a 

 " family spotted apiiearance, similar to the Ijreast of a spice-bird ; in one 

 " only the bieast is white, with a white sjiot on the foreiicad and under tlie 

 " chin. Tliere are live of these interesting little birds ; they are about three 

 " months old and wonderfully strong and healthy." 



I think this is about the earliest lecord of the successful 

 breeding' of the above hybrid. 



2. Green Singingfinch-Goldftncii : The late Miss R. 



AMerson, in 1902, wrote of this rather unique cross as follows : 



" In one of my avi'iries I have a hen English (ioklhnch and a cf)ck 

 " Green Singingfir.ch. tloth Ijirds are in line health and p.lumage. This 

 " summer tnev have rie.-^ted twice. The first nest was i)uilt close to a 

 " Violet Dove's nest, and the two l)irds sat in ])erfcct harmony within ;i 

 " few inciies oi each other h'our or five eggs w'ere laid, and the (ioldfinch 

 '■ sat well, Init imfortunately the nest was destroyed by some other bird. 

 " A second nest was made later and three young ones hatched. One was 

 " drowned just as it left the nest. The other two are fine young birds, 

 " now over two months tld, .and orie of them is lieginning to sing nicely. 

 " In size and -hape they are rdther like a hen chalifinch. Both birds arc 

 " showing N'ellow and orange in tlie forehead, chin and wings. 1 thir.k 

 " they should be very handsome in a short time." 



A Current Episode : At the present time I have a cock 

 American Black-headed Siskin {.IsiragaHiiiis frisfis) antl a hen 

 English (Ioldfinch (CarducJis clcgans) in my large aviary. Both 

 have been in the aviary two years, but prior to this spring have 

 not consorted together in any way, neither had T noticed them 

 doing so this year, but a fortnight ago our treasuier, Mr. S. 

 Williams, spent the weekend with me, and on Sunday (May 13th) 

 ho noticed both siskin and goldfinch carrying nesting material, 

 but we did not find where they were placing it — since 1 have 

 foimd the nest; it is in a Hartz travelling-cage, a typical gokl- 

 finch's nest, constructed of dead birdweed stems for the base, 



