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to be relied on as an unalterable rule for all. Thus 

 one writer says, " If you wish very high-coloured birds, 

 breed jonque and jonque," that is bright yellow with 

 bright yellow, whilst another as confidently asserts 

 that such a mode of proceeding will never do, but that 

 *' a fine full-coloured bird is likely to be obtained from 

 the union of a clear- bred, jonque cock, with a large, 

 perfect, mealy hen." One party asserts "that the 

 union of opposites is productive of the most harmoni- 

 ous results," the other that their experience teaches 

 the very contrary. For my own part I believe much 

 <lepends upon the particular circumstances of each case. 

 Wherever we can obtain pure bred birds from a pure 

 stock of several generations, I have no doubt about the 

 soundness and wisdom of the principle of " like pro- 

 ducing like." But where birds have been bred with 

 others of difi'erent colour, or where it is desirable to 

 infuse a harder testure into the soft and flossy silki- 

 ness of feather usually found in very high-coloured 

 birds, a cross with a close- feathered mealy hen may 

 be more desirable. As an instance of the rule of con- 

 traries it is universally admitted that two turncrested 

 birds may produce bald-pated oflTspring. Mr. Adams, 

 in his * Cage and Singing Birds,' says good Lizards 

 are obtained by matching a strongly marked grey cock 

 with a dark-splashed hen, and if you put together a 

 strong grey or green coloured cock with a clear mealy 



