birds, the generality of the hens are not to be depended 

 upon in captivity for either building, laying, or rear- 

 ing, while here and there individual specimens will be 

 found to succeed in all three. 



My own experience in this direction has been con- 

 fined to the behaviour of the male bird, and I should 

 think that he may safely be regarded as generally a 

 very free breeder — although through a chapter of 

 accidents I did not succeed in rearing any young my- 

 self. After much search and enquiry I had secured, 

 two cocks for the purpose of experiment. My idea 

 was to mate them to small compact common hens, and 

 then in the following season to the progeny of what 

 we may call this first " cross," and so on for a year or 

 two in the hope that by continuous selection I might 

 ultimately possess a strain of birds combining the 

 complete physical characteristics of the wild bird with 

 the readiness to breed of the domesticated variety on 

 the part of the females. 



The first bird was one of two which had been 

 caught near Brighton, and described as Citril Finches 

 by the captor. Through the kindness of Dr. Hopkinson, 

 the purchaser of one of them, I became its possessor. 

 Whether it had strayed to our shores in a gale of wind, 

 or whether it was an escaped prisoner will never be 

 known, but that it was a genuine wild bird is quite 

 certain. The other, which I obtained almost directly 

 afterwards, had been imported privately and direct, 

 and was very kindly lent to me by its owner, a gentle- 

 man in the West of England. 



On their arrival, in order that I might study them 

 with the greater accuracy, I caged them, keeping each 

 alternately for a few days in my bedroom and study. 

 As cage birds they were charming. Wliile their gait 

 and perch action shewed that indescribable something 

 which to the experienced eye so effectually marks off a 

 wild bird from the domesticated Canary, their steadi- 



