On Mules. 93 



stumpy appearance, and consequently be more or less 

 unsightly to the eye that has any perception of beauty 

 of outline, while that of the goldfinch will necessarily 

 have more gracefulness of figure, and a gi'eater variety 

 of plumage. The colour of the former will be the 

 brown of the linnet, perhaps blotched with patches of 

 dingy white, while that of the latter will partake more 

 of the gay livery of the goldfinch with a far greater 

 diversity in its plumage. We ourselves have bred 

 specimens some of which differed little from the male 

 goldfinch, while others have united the beautiful scarlet 

 and orange head of the former, with a body of beautiful 

 and delicate white like a canary. AVe have seen others 

 of most exquisite shape, and most attractive colour, 

 from which, although no admirers of the mule tribe in 

 general, it were impossible to withhold our meed of praise. 

 *' The most beautiful I have seen," says Bechstein, 

 " 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 dusky grey 

 with black streaks ; the rump white, the under part of 

 the body of a 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 with 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 



