40 



serins, citril finches, and goldfinclies, are fruitful. It 

 is remarked, however, that their first eggs are very 

 small, and the young hatched from them very weak ; 

 but the next year the eggs become larger, and the 

 young stronger and more robust. 



Mules between a Canaet and a GtOldeinch 

 present in their plumage an agreeable mixture of the 

 colours of their parents. The most beautiful which I 

 have seen was greyish ash-colour in the middle of its 

 crest, and silvery white on the rest of its head and 

 nape; a broad orange border surrounded the beak, 

 and the neck was adorned with a white collar ; the 

 back was a dusky grey, with black streaks ; the rump 

 white, the under part of the body of snowy whiteness ; 

 the under tail-coverts, the wings, and first quill- 

 feathers white, but the others, as well as the coverts, 

 black, edged with yellow ; the middle of the wing was 

 also adorned witli a beautiful golden yellow spot ; the 

 white tail had a black spot on the sides, the white 

 beak was tipped with black, the feet were white. The 

 mother of this beautiful bird was white, with a greenish 

 grey crest. In general, one may be sure of fine 

 birds when yellow or white females are paired with 

 goldfinches. 



Mtjles between the Canary and the Sisxin. — 

 If the mother be a green canary, the mules will 



