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It would be interesting to see to what extent, if at all, 

 this superiority in song is inherited by grey birds with 

 white blood in their parentage, and if it gives them an 

 advantage in sexual selection. The white form is 

 profitable to breed, but not the grey, as it is very cheap. 

 Grey birds cost from is. 6d. to 5s. per pair, and 

 white about los. 6d., the price of pied ones being 

 intermediate. 



The Bengalee {^Urolo7icha acidicmuia) is a small 

 finch about the size of a Wren. The tj^pe, which is 

 seldom imported, is dark brown, but pied, cinnamon, 

 cinnamon-and-white, and pure white forms of domestic 

 Japanese stock are imported, the cinnamon-and-white 

 being the commonest. There is no sex difference. 

 This bird should be treated like the Java Sparrow, 

 allowing for its smaller size, but not associated with 

 that bird nor with Parrakeets. It will, however, do 

 well along with Doves and Canaries. It breeds well. 

 Its breeding needs study to determine the inheritance 

 of the colours. The fixing of the pure white form 

 would be profitable, and it would be of interest to 

 note if the females had any preference for any par- 

 ticular colour. 



Bengalees cost about 5s. a pair, the white form 

 being dearest. 



The Canary {^Serimcs caiiaria) is, as everybody 

 knows, normally streaky olive-green in colour. Even 

 when bred indiscriminately, however, several varieties 

 occur: pale yellow (buff), bright yellow (jonque), and 

 cinnamon, besides pied forms. The inheritance 

 appears to be alternative when buff and jonque or 

 cinnamon and green are crossed, but not when the 

 3'ellow forms are crossed with the darker. There is 

 no noticeable sex-difference in plumage. Canaries 

 can be bred very freely and easily in aviaries, and it 

 the yellow forms are tised the progeny is always 

 saleable at a profit. They need canary and other 



