CHAPTER III. 



MULE BREEDING. 



AMONG the many pleasures to be derived by bird-fanciers from 

 breeding birds, there is none which affords such an amount of 

 pleasure, instruction, and amusement, as mule breeding ; that is, 

 provided good specimens of the hybrids are obtained. Herein 

 lies the difficulty, but when once it has been surmounted, a full 

 reward for all past labours, perseverance, and patience is 

 reaped. 



UNCERTAINTIES OP MULE BREEDING. It is a well-known fact 

 that many men have bred mules for a great number of years, 

 between the goldfinch and the canary, and likewise between the 

 linnet (Fringilla Linota, Linn.) commonly known as the grey or 

 brown linnet and canary, and have never once succeeded in 

 producing a single specimen worth 5s. ; whilst others, who have 

 only been recognised as "fanciers" but a short time, compara- 

 tively speaking, have managed to obtain birds worth as many 

 pounds sterling each, and no doubt a great deal of this success 

 depends upon intelligence and observation. 



GOOD MULES. Up to within a very recent period, any fancier 

 who happened to produce a good specimen of a lightly-marked 

 mule was looked upon as either an exceedingly fortunate indi- 

 vidual, or a man that really knew something a sort of seer 

 in " birdology." No doubt, solitary instances are on record of 

 persons having bred a good specimen, as it were by mere accident, 

 that is, at a first attempt ; whilst others, as I have before stated, 



