Mule Breeding. 



on the cheeks, the sides of the neck, and round the eyes with 

 reddish white, besides, the feathers on the sides of the breast 

 are nearly blood-red; and birds of this description are known 

 among professional bird-catchers by the cognomen of "stubble" 

 birds. Linnets alter very much in their appearance, according 

 to age and circumstances, and if old birds are moulted in the 

 house their rich plumage is changed into ashen grey and 

 russet brown, and they strongly resemble the ordinary grey 

 linnet in their outward covering. 



The same rules as are laid down for breeding goldfinch 

 and canary mules must be observed in breeding with linnets 

 and canaries, and the same remarks apply to siskins, green- 

 finches, redpoles, &c. By far the handsomest mules, however, 

 are those bred between the goldfinch and canary. It is stated 

 by some breeders that mules have been obtained by crossing 

 a bullfinch and a canary together. I am perfectly aware that 

 a bullfinch will occasionally pair with a hen canary, but I 

 have never been able to find a verified instance in which the 

 eggs proved fruitful. I have seen a bird exhibited which was 

 said to be a hybrid of this kind; but, beyond the fact that 

 its bill bore a striking likeness to that of the bullfinch, I 

 could not discover another trace of resemblance to it.* 



It is also affirmed by some authorities that mules will pro- 

 pagate their own species in confinement, but I have never 

 known a single instance in which this fact has been clearly 

 established. 



The goldfinch and bullfinch will breed together. I have 

 seen some fine specimens of the hybrids from a male gold- 

 finch and a female "bully;" and in the case to which I refer 

 she took very readily to an artificial nest. 



There are other varieties of the finch tribes that will breed 

 together quite readily; but their produce are valued more as 

 curiosities and rarce aves than objects of beauty. 



* I have now seen a hybrid, the property of Mr. Williams, of Liverpool, which 

 I believe to be bred between the canary and bullfinch. It is the only genuine 

 specimen I have seen. A likeness of it is given in this issue of "The Canary 



Book." 



