g6 The Canary Book. 



many years. No doubt, there are other adjuncts needed for the 

 production of mules of a superior class, having in view the 

 improvements, size, colour, and feather, which I will point out 

 in the course of my remarks ; but, before I do so, I will give the 

 result of my own experiments, which, being practical, will be 

 valued accordingly. 



Being now thoroughly convinced that I had discovered the 

 true method of producing marked mules, I procured a clear buff 

 Norwich cock canary, bred from clear birds, by a friend who had 

 bred with a few pairs for four or five years, merely for his own 

 amusement, and, therefore, had not deemed it worth his while to 

 introduce a fresh strain. I put this cock to a clear yellow hen, 

 bred from two evenly-marked Norwich birds by myself, which 

 were pretty closely related. I kept two hens and a cock from 

 this pair, and having paired these again, I got three young 

 canaries from one hen and two from the other. I then placed a 

 male goldfinch with each of the hens, and during the season I 

 bred some nicely-marked mules scarcely good enough to show 

 in this age of marvels, but notwithstanding, good birds. Fired 

 by my success to more vigorous exertions, I determined to extend 

 my chances, and hearing of a person who had some hens very 

 "sib bred," I purchased one, and two more goldfinches. 



The following year I put up two young hens, one yellow 

 and one buff (the remainder being all cocks), bred as before 

 stated, and also the " sib bred " hen which I had purchased. 

 She was a clear buff hen, of the variety known as "Norwich 

 Fancy," and was the produce of clear buff parents. I first 

 took a nest of canaries from each of these hens, and after- 

 wards introduced them to the " goldies." One of the young 

 hens started at once, and laid a nest of eggs which proved 

 fruitful, and were hatched; but the young birds were weak 

 and delicate, and only lived two days. They had all the 

 appearance of being light mules, as their skins were like 

 newly-hatched canaries'; I was much pleased with my success 

 so far, although doomed to disappointment by the loss I sus- 

 tained when they succumbed. Scarcely, however, had I become 

 reconciled to my first misfortune, when a second and worse 



