BREEDING OF HYBRIDS FROM TWO BRITISH BIRDS 367 



give a little egj, food every other day when 

 the time for breeding arrives; and if 

 the birds ai'e allowed to rear their 

 own young, whilst doing so a supjjly of 

 fresh made egg food must be given twice 

 daily. 



A similar bill of fare answers well for 

 Greenfinch-Bullfinch, Goldfinch-Greenfinch 

 and Goldfinch-Linnet pairs ; also for all 

 the other pairs for producing the various 

 crosses mentioned in the previous chapter, 

 with the omission of the hemp seed, and 

 in addition to the wild seed heads above 

 quoted wild convohn^dus might be given 

 for the Linnet, Greenfinch and Chaflinch. 

 Branches infested with green fiy, blight 

 of wild rose trees, and other bushes will 

 also be much enjoyed. Live ants' cocoons, 

 and gentles — the latter being allowed to 

 clean themselves well in silver or fresh 

 river sand before being given — will not 

 come amiss to Chaffinches and Bramble- 

 finches, and, in fact, many of the other 

 Finches will not say them nay. During 

 the breeding season additional luxuries 

 are smooth green caterpillars, fruit and 

 seed maggots, and other grubs, as well as 

 flies, when prociu'able, for the partial insect- 

 eating birds. The same bill of fare will 

 answer equally well for the birds when flying 

 together in groups in an aviary. Two or 

 three fresh clover sods placed on the floor 

 weekly will be much enjoyed, and any up- 

 rooted plants from the garden will be dili- 

 gently overhauled in search of insects or 

 grubs if thrown in as soon as taken from 

 the ground. 



The same method of feeding answers 

 well for the various Hybrids when they can 

 feed themselves, gradually weaning them 

 off the egg food until it is given in a very 

 sparing way when five or six weeks old. 

 Occasionally a little bread soaked in scald- 

 ing milk, if they will partake of it, is good, 

 and wards off many little troubles. Of 

 course, the husk of the hemp and sun- 

 flower seed must be cracked for the young 

 Hybrids until they are able to crack it 



themselves, just as for young Canaries. 

 Young Hybrids leave the nest earlier than 

 Canaries, usually when only about fourteen 

 daj's old. It has been necessary to give 

 this detailed management as it differs so 

 much from the management of Canaries, 

 and the breeder must not mind the little 

 extra trouble entailed in procuring the 

 fresh wild seeds and berries, for by paying 

 attention to these items those who have 

 hitherto written " Failure " may yet be able 

 to write " Success " in their Hybrid breeding 

 record. 



During the moult, if it is decided to 

 colour feed the Hybrids, colour and egg 

 food should be given in addition to their 

 seed diet, as explained for the Canary 

 Hybrids in Chapter XXXHI. Free access 

 to the bath is indisjDcnsable for both the 

 British birds when breeding and their 

 Hybrid offspring. 



Doubtless as time goes on many new 

 crosses will be added to the existing list, 

 such as the Siskin-Bullfinch, 

 Crosses yet Twite-Bullfinch, Hawfinch- 

 secured. Bullfinch, Hawfinch-Green- 

 finch, Crossbill-Hawfinch, 

 Goldfinch-Twite, Twite-Siskin, Twite-Lin- 

 net, Redpoll-Twite, etc. Already the Tree 

 Sparrow-House Sparrow cross has been 

 produced, and who knows whether we may 

 not yet see the mueh-talked-of Canary- 

 Chaffinch, and Canary-Bramblefineh, to 

 say nothing of various Hybrids of the 

 Bunting cross, as well as a host of Hybrids 

 from various insectivorous birds. Owing 

 to limitation of space, we have had neces- 

 sarily to be brief in many of our remarks ; 

 but sufficient has been said to give the 

 keynote, as to how to proceed to be 

 successful in the breeding, keeping, feeding 

 and exhibiting of the various Hybrids. 

 Hybrid breeding is a most fascinating- 

 pursuit, and those who do not feel interested 

 in Canary breeding will find amjjle scope 

 therein ' to test their talents and patience 

 in securing some of the rare crosses that we 

 have cited. 



