354



Mr. Allen Silver,



a cross lias been bred. It is obvious that a list of Hybrid Frin-

gillidae cannot well be termed “ complete,” and in consequence

the writer would esteem any supplementary information regard¬

ing “ fringillid ” hybrids not included here, and which have been

bred in cage or aviary. I might add, that although hybrid birds

have been bred between the Bearded Seedeater and Canary, I

have not included them in the Serin list owing to the fact that

that bird seems to be only a phase of Serinus icterus.


Although fertility is by no means uncommon among hybrid

birds belonging to other groups, it is singularly less frequent in

the case of “ fringillid ” hybrids. We know that Serinus hortu-

lanus when paired to S. cancirius (dom. var.) produces hybrids

perfectly fertile; but such crosses hardly can be termed hybrids,

i.e. if the late Dr. Sharpe and others are correct in regarding the

wild Canary as simply a large race of the common Serin. Dr.

Russ and others have found these “ mongrels ” freely fertile with

their progenitors and among themselves ; moreover, a Spanish

aviculturist who similarly experimented records in Cage Birds,

April 30th, 1910, the successful mating of a female “ mongrel”

(Serin x Canary) containing |- ths Canary blood with a Greenfinch.

The bird died upon hatching; but such fertility in so-called

hybrids would lead one to agree with the correctness of Dr.

Sharpe’s diagnosis.


The offspring resulting from crossing Sycalis flaveola x

6'. pelzelni are freely fertile (f. 103 Butler’s Foreign Birds). It is,

however, an unsettled question in my mind whether the two

birds are sufficiently far apart for one to rank them as more than

distinct sub-species. Hybrids produced by crossing Chrysomitris

cucullata and a hen Canary (the Misla canatia~), however, are

usually regarded as prone to fertility. Miss Norman, in Vol. II.,

N.S., f. 282 records an instance, and in Bird Notes , Vol. III., Dr.

Hopkinson mentions having seen the offspring of a Hooded-

Siskin-Canary hybrid in the aviaries of Mrs. Reid, of Funchal,

Madeira, bred by crossing such a hybrid and a hen Canary.

Reputed instances of fertile Goldfinch-Canary, IJnnet-Canaty,

and Siskin-Canary mules, have from time to titire been recorded ;

but it is quite another matter to authenticate the cases. A cor-

pondent (Mr. J. A. Murray, Sunderlatrd) writing itr Cage Birds,



