BIRDS. 471 



believe, hybrids are sometimes the result of the casual inter- 

 course of birds building in close proximity. But these 

 remarks do not apply to the many recorded instances of 

 tamed or domestic birds, belonging to distinct species, 

 which have become absolutely fascinated with each other, 

 although living with their own species. Thus Waterton* 

 states that out of a flock of twenty-three Canada geese, a 

 female paired with a solitary Bernicle gander, although so 

 different in appearance and size; and they produced hybrid 

 offspring. A male wigeon (Mareca penelope) living with 

 females of the same species has been known to pair with a 

 pintail duck, Querquedula acuta. Lloyd describes the re- 

 markable attachment between a shield-drake (Tadorna 

 vulpanser) and a common duck. Many additional instances 

 could be given; and the Rev. E. S. Dixon remarks that 

 " those who have kept many different species of geese 

 together well know what unaccountable attachments they 

 are frequently forming, and that they are quite as likely to 

 pair and rear young with individuals of a race (species) 

 apparently the most alien to themselves as with their own 

 stock." 



The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that he possessed at the 

 same time a pair of Chinese geese (Anser Cygnoides) and a 

 common gander with three geese. The two lots kept quite 

 separate, until the Chinese gander seduced one of the 

 common geese to live with him. Moreover, of the young 

 birds hatched from the eggs of the common geese, only 

 four were pure, the other eighteen proving hybrids; so that 

 the Chinese gander seems to have had prepotent charms 

 over the common gander. I will give only one other case: 

 Mr. Hewitt states that a wild duck, reared in captivity, 

 " after breeding a couple of seasons with her own mallard, 

 at once shook him off on my placing a male pintail on the 

 water. It was evidently a case of love at first sight, for 

 she swam about the new-comer caressingly, though he 

 appeared evidently alarmed and averse to her overtures of 



* Waterton, "Essays on Nat. Hist.," 2d series, pp. 42, 117. For 

 the following statements see on the wigeon, London's " Mag. of Nat. 

 Hist.," vol. ix, p. 616. L. Lloyd, " Scandinavian Adventures," vol. i, 

 1854, p. 452. Dixon, "Ornamental and Domestic Poultry," p. 137; 

 Hewitt, in "Journal of Horticulture, " Jan. 13, 1863, p. 40; Bech- 

 stein, " StubenvSgel," 1840, s. 230. Mr. Jenner Weir has lately 

 given me an analogous case with ducks of two species. 



