56 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



" This spring, while visiting an educational institution, located in 

 the hilly rural regions west of the Allegheny River, in the northern 

 part of Butler County, in this State, I took a stroll one afternoon into 

 the woodlands, and came at the edge of a field to a thicket of hazel. 

 One of the Indigo Buntings flew up ahead of me, and perching upon 

 the top of a mullein stalk uttered his song. At the same moment I 

 saw a female bird slyly flitting away from among the ha/els. I investi- 

 gated and was presently rewarded by finding a nest containing three 

 eggs. Presently another female bird flew up and I discovered another 

 nest. A close search showed that there were no less than six nests of 

 this bird contained in a thicket not more than five yards square. It is 

 very unusual to find so many nests of the same species crowded together 

 in so limited a space. 



" In New England, in the western parts of Massachusetts, I have 

 not infrequently found the nests of this bird hidden among the branches 

 of the Spiraa tomentosa, or hardback, which is a very common growth 

 on waste and neglected lands ; while in the south a favourite nesting 

 place seemed to be in the thick tufted growths of the Ccanothus anuri- 

 canus, or New Jersey tea." 



As regards mule-breeding with Canaries, Dr. Russ does not say, 

 as Wiener practically does, that complete success has been attained; 

 but he says what is just as much to the point; "Now and again 

 attempts have been made to breed mules between it and a Canary-bird 

 hen, but I cannot be absolutely certain of any issue; nevertheless, I 

 know, that in one instance the hen laid fertilized eggs. It must there- 

 fore be quite possible to breed mules from it, and these would be very 

 beautiful, or at any rate extremely remarkable birds." 



Now, it is very certain that, unless Dr. Russ had received 

 unimpeachable evidence of the fact that an Indigo Finch had been 

 successfully paired with a Canary with the effect that she laid 

 fertile eggs, he would not have said "I know." Dr. Russ may make 

 a mistake in a detail as to change of colour in adult birds; but in his 

 special department of Bird-breeding and all connected therewith, he is 

 not at all likely to blunder. 



In 1895 and 1896, I tried to breed mules between an Indigo 

 Bunting and a Canary. In 1895 the Bunting was incessantly pairing 

 with the Finch, and, whenever she built, he hindered her continually 

 by pulling out the nest almost as fast as she completed it; when she 

 laid he pulled the nest over the eggs so that they never got properly 

 incubated. At length, when I removed the Indigo Bunting, the Canary 

 was so much exhausted that she did not sit steadily, so that no result 



