254 OBSERVATIONS ON HYBRIDS. 



under my observation, whilst I was engaged in the experiments which I 

 have stated. A person informed me that a farmer, who resided a few 

 miles distant from me, possessed a mule bird, which was bred between 

 the common hen and the wood-pigeon; and which my informant had 

 seen, and described with accuracy : I took, in consequence, the earliest 

 opportunity of seeing the farmer, and the supposed mule bird ; because 

 I thought that nature had strictly prohibited the production of mules 

 between species so distinct, and had usually made the death of the female 

 the price of the attempt. The information I obtained was, that the 

 children in his house (his infant brothers and sisters) had reared a young 

 wood-pigeon and a motherless chicken together ; that these became much 

 attached to each other, and appeared to have paired, the wood-pigeon 

 constantly paying court to the young hen, as he would have done to a 

 female of his own species. The hen subsequently laid eleven eggs, which 

 she sat upon, and produced one offspring, the bird in question. It was 

 wholly without comb, and it had soft turgid nostrils, extremely similar to 

 those of a wood-pigeon ; and the whole profile of its head, exclusive of 

 the point of the beak, bore a most striking resemblance to that of its 

 supposed male parent. It, however, certainly was not the offspring of a 

 wood -pigeon, nor a mule ; for it bred freely. I ought to have preserved 

 the bird, which was offered me, and perhaps I convict myself of an 

 act of unpardonable stupidity in not having done so. But it was a great 

 favourite with the children who possessed it ; and I did not like to deprive 

 them of it. The animal physiologist will draw his own conclusions 

 respecting these singular facts ; I do not feel qualified to give an opinion. 



XLV UPON THE MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT-TREES IN POTS. 

 [Read before the HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, May 8th, 1821.] 



I HAVE more than once mentioned, in the Transactions of this Society, 

 the importance of giving to fruit-trees, from which a crop of fruit is 

 required very early in the season, a high degree of excitability, or the 

 power to vegetate very strongly in moderately low temperature, at the 

 period when they are first subjected to artificial heat*: and I have 

 pointed out the advantages of retaining all trees, which are intended 

 to afford such very early crops, in potsf. In the present season, I have 



* See paper on the Culture of the Pine-apple, p. 242 ; also paper on the Proper Manage- 

 ment of Fruit-trees which are intended to be forced very early, p. 228. 



f See paper on Culture of Pine-apple, p. 242. 



