160 THE CANARY. 



I shall end this description with an account of the different 

 mule birds obtained from the canaries. 



MULE CANARIES. 1. Mules between a Canary and a Gold- 

 finch, present in their plumage an agreeable mixture of the 

 colours of their parents. The most beautiful which I have 

 seen was greyish ash-colour in the middle of its crest, and silvery 

 white on the rest of its head and nape ; a broad orange border 

 surrounded the beak, and the neck was adorned with a white 

 collar ; the back was a dusky grey, with black streaks ; the 

 rump white, the under part of the body of a snowy whiteness ; 

 the under tail-coverts, the wings and first quill-feathers white, 

 but the others, as well as the coverts, black, edged with yellow ; 

 the middle of the wing was also adorned with a beautiful 

 golden yellow spot ; the white tail had a black spot on- the 

 sides, the white beak was tipped with black, the feet were 

 white. The mother of this beautiful bird was white, with a 

 greenish grey crest. In general, one may be sure of fine birds 

 when yellow or white females are paired with goldfinches. 



2. Mules between the Canary and the Siskin. If the mother 

 be a green canary, the mules will resemble a female siskin ; 

 but, if she is white or yellow, their colours are lighter, yet 

 without differing greatly from those of the siskin, which they 

 always resemble in shape. 



3. Mules between a Canary and a Green-bird, or a Citril 

 Finch. If the hen canary is neither white nor yellow, the 

 mules differ little from the common grey or green canary, 

 except in being more slender, and having the beak shorter and 

 thicker. 



4. Mules between a Canary and a Linnet will be speckled if 

 the mother is white or yellow, but if she is grey they will be 

 like her, except that the tail will be longer. 



The other mules are rarer, because more difficult to obtain, 

 as we shall see elsewhere. 



HABITATION Except in the breeding season the male canaries are kept 

 alone in separate cages, which, whatever the shape, ought not to be less than 

 eight inches in diameter and a foot in height, with two sticks placed across 

 tor the bird to perch on. The females may be allowed to range the room 

 with one wing clipped, or, what is better, kept in large cages, where, from 

 having plenty of exercise, their health and strength are better preserved. 

 In the small cages, glass vases should be placed on the outside, at the ex- 

 tremities of the lower stick, to hold the food and water. These may be 



