120 The Canary Book. 



Female hybrids, unless well marked or clear in colour, are 

 of no value intrinsically. 



In addition to the hybrids already mentioned, it has been 

 asserted that the yellow-hammer and canary have bred together, 

 and I have seen a mule exhibited, said to be a cross between 

 the species named, and a prize was awarded to it. I examined 

 it most minutely, but failed to find a trace of canary in its 

 composition, nor could I discover anything about the bird to 

 lead me to believe that it was other than an ordinary yellow- 

 hammer. 



In my own experience, I have never observed any signs 

 of affinity to exist between the yellow-hammer and canary. 

 Besides, yellow-hammers are insectivorous as well as grain- 

 eating, which canaries are not ; and I doubt very much 

 whether hybrids so bred(?) could be reared on canary diet. 



Mules can be bred between the goldfinch and greenfinch, 

 the goldfinch and linnet, siskin and goldfinch, bullfinch and 

 goldfinch, goldfinch and redpole, bullfinch and greenfinch, and 

 bullfinch and linnet. In fact, any two varieties of the finch 

 family may, with care and patience, and if in good health 

 and under favourable circumstances, be induced to breed, and 

 any of these will breed with the canary. In the latter case 

 we prefer the hen to be the canary, and in using goldfinches 

 we prefer the male to be of that variety. Mules bred between 

 the greenfinch and linnet, or greenfinch and bullfinch, or green- 

 finch and siskin in fact, any mules bred between the green- 

 finch and any other variety of the finch tribe, are never 

 handsome, and are looked upon more as a rara avis than 

 otherwise; by far the handsomest mules are those bred 

 between the goldfinch and canary, and next to these are pre- 

 ferred the specimens obtained between the bullfinch and 

 goldfinch, many of these crosses producing very handsome 

 birds. 



