264 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 15, 18f,9. 



thronghoni the seaeon, Tre are assured all classes will be well 

 fiUed. Entries close on Thursday the 29th inst. 



NOTES ON GOLDFINCH MULES AND 

 MULE-BREEDING.— No. 4. 



Mules — the best of Goldfinch Mules— are generally bred 

 from hens termed " common hens," which are understood by 

 the fancier to mean those of no particular or choice breed. 

 The yellow hens of this kind are of a lemon or brimstone 

 appearance, and the mealy birds much liyhter in feather than 

 the generality of mealy birds. 



When I remark that muling hens of this sort are of no 

 particular breed, of course I intend it to be understood that 

 they are only fit for the purpose of breeding Mules. In this 

 respect they are considered choice — better, in my opinion, than 

 anything else. There is a breed named Yorkshire, which par- 

 takes of more length than the foregoing, and from which I 

 have had several excellent specimens of Mules. I prefer the 

 shape of the Mules from this kind, for they are more sleek and 

 " stylish " than those bred from a short thick-set hen, but there 

 is not so much dependance to be placed upon the young being 

 thrown with light feathers*. "Whenever 1 have an opportunity 

 I cross one of the Yorkshire breed with a common specimen, 

 for the purpose of increasing the length, but only when I have 

 proved there is something worthy of crossing. I would not cross 

 the breeds without testing that either has been bred from birds 

 that have thrown Mules with light or broken feathers. 



I have likewise bred Mules from Norwich, half-bred Norwich, 

 some of which I have now, and others, from all of which I 

 have had varied success, but mostly dark young Mules, with 

 only here and there a specimen having a few pied or light 

 feathers in the wings or tail, with a mark resembling a ring 

 round the neck. At the present time I have a handsome, 

 even, although too heivily, marked Buff Goldfinch cock Mule, 

 the winner of a first prize at Cambridge, and also a first prize 

 at Leighton Buzzard in 1S68. This bird was from a hen I bred 

 myself from one of the tried common breed and a Buff Nor- 

 wich cock. I was fortunate in obtaining a nest of three, two 

 hens and a cock ; two being still alive with me, and Captain 

 Fisher, of Gloucestershire, being favoured with the other for 

 muling with last season. The common hen that I crossed 

 with the Norwich I had previously from Mr. J. Doel, of Ply- 

 mouth. I merely state this as an instance of perseverance to 

 endeavour to obtain muling stock with as much quality as 

 possible. It adds much to the appearance of the Mules when 

 they are possessed of a fine bloom. 



Good hens for muling purposes are difficult to be had, and 

 even when obtained from a good strain there is still a great 

 chance that the Mules may bedaik. When I succeed in breed- 

 ing pied Mules, if the time of the season will allow, I try for a 

 nest of Canaries, or if not successful, and the hen passes 

 through the next moult, I pair her with a cock bird of the 

 same strain the following breeding season for a nest, some- 

 times two, before putting-up the ben with the Goldfinch for 

 Mules. My plan is to match a yellow cock to a yellow hen, 

 or a mealy cock to a mealy hen. I breed in-and-in, both as 

 regards colour and relationship — a practice directly opposite to 

 that which I adopt in matching my Canaries. I generally 

 endeavour to keep by me a cock bird or two for this particular 

 purpose, but it by chance I am short, I try to have from a 

 mule-breediug friend one of a likely strain. 



It does not follow that good mule-breeding hens should be 

 always clear, or free from dark feathers. I have by me at the pre- 

 sent time a pied hen I bred from a heavily-marked strain, which 

 throws very good marked Mules. I know many instances of good 

 " broken-feathered " Mules having been bred from marked hens. 



Great success will often occur from breeding with a chance 

 hen. I mean one known not to be the offspring of a muling 

 hen. Several instances have come to my knowledge, one not 

 long since, which I will mention. It occurred during the last 

 breeding-season. Upon paying my third visit to the famous 

 annual bird show at Sunderland, I was informed by Mr. George 

 Shiel, the proprietor of the Queen's Hotel, who is a breeder 

 and enthusiastic admirer of Canaries and Mules, that from 

 a yellow Norwich hen Canary furnished by me, he bred a 

 lot of handsome Mules, some of them, if I remember rightly, 

 having been almost clear. One, a fine specimen, he exhibited 

 at Sunderland. The hen in question Mr. Shiel had solely for 

 Norwich breeding, but failing to pair with the cock Norwich 

 bird, she was placed to a Goldfinch. I mention this as one of 



the chance instances of breeding good Mules — ^birds well pied — 

 but not as an everyday occurrence. The odds are much 

 against this chance work. 



Those who make a regular practice, season after season, of 

 breeding Mules, excellent ones too, both Goldfinch and Linnet, 

 I know full well would not think of watting their time by try- 

 ing any kind of hen. Their plan, and mine also, is to breed 

 from tried stock, or the offspring of hens proved to have bred 

 Mules broken in feather. I will guarantee that if a breeder 

 were to try a dozen casual or haphazard hens to mule with, he 

 would not obtain a good specimen from the whole of them 

 during the season. He would fill his cages with dark Mules 

 entirely, unless by chance one or two should have an odd 

 feather either in the tail or wings. This would compensate 

 wretchedly for his trouble. I know those who have tried for 

 years, and have not even yet succeeded in obtaining a Mule of 

 moderate appearance. Many a good-bred hen has been cast 

 aside because she has not at once pleased or satisfied her 

 owner. Last season I furnished several breeders of Mules 

 with hens bred purposely for muling. Some succeeded, others 

 failed, but with the intention of persevering the forthcoming 

 season. One of the finest Goldfinch Mules from one of the 

 hens Mr. Jonathan Unwin, of Hanley, exhibited at the late 

 show there, and it was a very good specimen of a yellow Mule. 

 I am in some measure compelled to mention these facts, wishing 

 those who may have failed to exercise further patience and 

 perseverance. I know there is a vast amount of interest exist- 

 ing as regards breeding good Goldfinch Mules. 



The changing of a Goldfinch, I will admit, often makes a 

 difference, and although I have frequently had remarked to me 

 that " it's all in the Goldfinch," I cannot for one moment enter- 

 tain the idea, for if so, any hen would do. The difference the 

 changing of a Goldfinch may make at time";, I believe, depends 

 much on the constitution or the condition of a Goldfinch or 

 muling hen at the time of breeding. Let any practical breeder 

 try a dozen hens bred from a likely strain, with three or four 

 Goldfinches, and he will see the difference between them and 

 the dozen haphazard hens. — G. J. Baknebbt, Derby. 



SEX OF LARKS. 



Your correspondent " A Subsceieer" will find the follow- 

 ing hints of use in determining the sex of the common Sky- 

 lark. The bill of the male is larger, stronger, and broader at the 

 base than that of the female ; the heiid is larger, the birds being 

 preferred that are widest between the eyes ; the chest is more 

 developed, causing the bird to handle large round the shoulders ; 

 the tail feathers are broader and longer. The expanse of the 

 wings in the male is from ISJ to 15J inches, while in the 

 female it is only from 11 f to 13^- inches. When the wing of the 

 female is opened out the ends of the flights form a straight line, 

 but the three outward pinions of the male extend from one-half 

 to three-quarters of an inch beyond the line at the points of the 

 feathers, and the wing is more curved from the shoulder to the 

 pinion point than in that of the female. In addition to these 

 particulars I may say that the colour and marking of the 

 plumage of the male are more distinct than in the female bird. 



The above are the observations of a long experience, and 

 will seldom fail to indicate the sex correctly. — E. Huttos. 



aiY DOGS.— No. 4. 



MV DOG WHEN I WAS A NEW BENEDICT. 

 " Benedict, the married man." — Shalspeare. 

 What do others think of us ? " Listeners never hear any 

 good of themselves," is a proverb, and proverbs state what is 

 usually true. The reason in this case is, thai if people happen 

 to overhear anything said of themselves, it will, I fear, not be 

 hkely to gratify their vanity. How admirably does Scott show 

 us this in a conversation which that very self-satisfied young 

 man, Frank Osbaldistone, once overheard, the speaker being 

 his own servant. " Ay, ay," said Andrew Fairservice, " Ay, 

 Mr. Hammergaw, it's e'en as I tell ye ; he's no a'thegither sae 

 void o' sense neither, but he's crack-brained and cockle-headed." 

 Imagine the feeUngs of a vain youngster, or, indeed, of any 

 man or woman, overhearing this said of themselves. 



But I pass from those who criticise severely, as is generally 

 the case with servants in regard to their masters or mistresses. 

 N.B. — What a scarifier of " my lady," is my lady's maid, 

 when having a cup of tea with a confidential friend. I ask 

 again. What do others thick of ns? Are yon sure, yon 



