HYBRIDS 



CHAPTER XXXII 



BRITISH FINCH AND CANARY HYBRIDS 



Hybrid 

 Classification 



The highest standard of perfection in all 

 Hybrids in which the Canar}^ is one of the 

 parents is a Clear ; that 

 is, a bird as free from dark 

 colour in its plumage as 

 a Clear Canary. Very few such Hybrids, 

 however, occur, and a Clear Yellow is 

 indeed a rara avis, though such have 

 been produced and reared in at least three 

 crosses — the Goldfinch and Canary, Linnet 

 and Canary, and Siskin and Canary. In 

 Clear Buffs at least three crosses have also 

 been reared — Goldfinch and Canary, Linnet 

 and Canary, and Greenfinch and Canary. 

 There may have been others, but these 

 are authentic, and there are more clear 

 buffs produced than yellow. 



GOLDFINCH-CANARY. 



The next highest standard of the Canary 

 Cross is the " Evenly Marked." These as 

 yet have only been produced in the Gold- 

 finch and Canary Cross, except in one 

 instance on record, where a Linnet and 

 Canary Hybrid became with age a legitimate 

 Even-Marked bird. This bird was 

 originally marked on eyes and wings, 

 with slight grizzle marks on the head 

 and neck ; these latter in time moulted 

 out clear, and the bird retaining the 

 eye and wing marks qualified as an 

 "Even-Marked."' A few of this cross 

 have been also produced with eye 

 marks only, and others with wing marks 

 alone. 



Next in order of exhibition merit is 

 the " Dark "' or " Self " Hybrid. While 

 endeavouring to produce these three 

 standard si^ecimens we get the inter- 

 mediate stages, amongst them such as 

 " Ticked," " Lightly Marked," and 

 " Heavily Variegated." A clearly defined, 

 distinctive character of feather runs 

 through the whole, separating the two 

 divisions of Yellow and Buff in the most 

 unmistakable manner. Plumage of a non- 

 descript character occasionally appears, 

 is dealt with just as is a similar un- 

 ded shade among Canaries, according 

 to its approach to one 

 or other of the recognised 

 fixed forms. 



Hybrids of which the 

 Canary is one of the pa- 

 rents are commonly 

 called " Mules " to dis- 

 tinguish them from Hy- 

 birds bred from two 



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