i8 



CAiNARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



(f) Three cinnamon Canary-Greenfinch 



hybrids. 

 ((/) One sclt'-cinnanifin Mniict (/y. can- 

 tuihiiid). 

 (;$) The lollowini,', formerly in my pos- 

 session : — 



(a) One scir-cinnamon Canary-Cirecn- 



linch hybrid. 

 (/<) One self-cinnamon Canary -Linnet 

 (F. cannabina) hybrid. Ijred by 

 myself. 

 (4) The following preserved specimens, 

 which died in my possession, the sex being 

 verified posl-inortcm :- — 



{(i) Three self-cinnamon Greenfinches 

 (L. clilori.s). 



(b) One self-cinnamon Goldfinch (Car- 



duelis elegans). 

 {c) One self-cinnamon Sparrow (Passer 



domcsticiis). 

 (d) One very pale cinnamon (almost 



white) Sj^arrow {F. domesticus). 

 {e) One self-cinnamon Linnet (L. can- 



yi(ibino). 

 (/) Two silver-grey Linnets (L. canna- 

 bina). 

 (;5) One \ery pale cinnamon (almost 

 white) J51ackl)ird [Turdiis tncnda), shot in 

 Octo])cr, litOS; sent to me by Mr. John 

 Dixon, Wigton, and cxandned post-nwrlcin. 

 (()) One cinnamon Goldfinch (C, elegans), 

 which belonged to IMr. .John Hector, Aber- 

 deen, was known to be a female during life; 

 and has now been j)reserved and presented 

 to me. 



(7) One very pale cinnamon (almost 

 wliitc) Starling (Slnrnns 7'ulgaris), caught 

 by a cat in Aberdeen recently, and now 

 jjrescrved and in my |)oss(ssion. it has 

 every appearance of being a female. 



All of these grey and ciimamou sjiorts 

 and hybrids are of the female sex. 



Wiiile I have found all self-cinnamon 



sports in wild birds, and also all that show 



tiic faintest shade of einna- 



Wild White mon colour in their plumage 



Sports and ,^, y^^. f^.,„.,,^, , ,,,^^.^. .^| 



White 



Hybrids. been nnpressed with the fact 



that most that show any 

 noticeable amount of pure white plumage 

 are males. 



The following have been verified posl- 

 inorteni, and most are in my possession. 

 They are all males : — 



(1) Two almost clear and one one-third 

 clear l^inncts (Linula cannabina). 



(2) One half-clear mealy Hedpoll (/.. 

 linaria). 



(.'{) One white Corn Bunting {bhnbcriza 

 miliaria). This bird has two or three 

 ticked fiights, all the rest of the jilumage 

 being clear. 



(4-) One almost clear Yellow-hammer [E. 

 citrincUa). 



(.■)) One three-quarter clear red Grouse 

 (Lagopus Sciilicus). 



(0) One three-quarter clear ]}lackbird 

 (7'. tncrula). 



(7) An almost clear Chalfineh [F. cwlcbs). 

 This beautiful bird, unfortunately shot 

 in Aberdeenshire during the severe snow- 

 storm in December, 1908, when it might 

 easily have been caught alive, is white all 

 over, with the following exceptions : The 

 eighth and ninth quills and three or four 

 coverts of tlic right wing are of the normal 

 dark colour ; the left wing has the fifth 

 (piill " grizzled " or greyish ; the se\enth, 

 eighth, and ninth, dark normal colour ; and 

 three or four coverts also dark. There 

 are also three or four ticked scapulars on 

 each side. The breast (upper) has a faint 

 reddish-brown, and the ilorsal region and 

 rum]i a yellow tinge. 



Dr. Ilcnry, of Kcmnay, Aberdeenshire, 

 sent me on .lunc L")tli. 1 !•()!•, a btautilul 

 |)ure white male Wood Pigeon (('aluinba 

 paluinbus). which had been shot a dav or 

 two previously in the \icimly. after rear- 

 ing a normally coloured >'oung one, the 

 mother being also normal in colour. The 

 jiigeon is ])crfeetly clear (no dark feathers). 

 The eyes were not noticeably abnormal. 



I h.ivc bred hybrids (1<K)8) from the 

 following male l)irds : - 



(1) One three-ciuartcr white (clear) lanuet 

 (/y. cannabina). 



(2) One one-third white (clear) liimiet 

 (L. cannabina). 



(.■J) I'l'om two others of a similar dcscri])- 

 tion in previous seasons. 



1 do not sav tlial all more or less white 



