miius. 279 



description : the Martin, inferior in size to the former, and the 

 tail much less forked ; it differs iilso in its nest, which is covered 

 at top, while that of the house-swallow is open : and the Swift, 

 rather larger than the house-swallow, with all the toes standing 



coupled with female ranwies, and the young- produced new generations. 

 The siskin, the goldfinch, and the linnet, are those respectin;^ which the 

 production of the female with the male canary is best authenticated. If 

 mules are desired from these birds, they must be taken on the nest brought 

 up by band with the canaries, fed on the same aliment, and kept in the same 

 nviary. The goldfinch, for example, which is generally chosen in preference, 

 should be kept from hempseed, and accustomed, as soon as he is able to eat 

 alone, to millet and rape-seed, the ordinary food of the canaries. Without 

 this, a risk is run of losing one or the other, in changing their diet. If henip- 

 =eed be suddenly taken from a goldfinch accustomed to it, to give him tin? 

 rdiuary food of canaries, the change will make him ill, and may cause his 

 leath. If, on the contrary, you leave him the hempseed, the female canary 

 tvill eat so much of it, that she will get a fever, and probably die. What is 

 «aid of the goldfinch is applicable to all other birds destined for the same 

 purpose. It is also recommended, in the case of the goldfinch, to cut the ex- 

 tremity of his bill dexterously, for about the thickness of a halfpenny, or 

 not quite so much. If some drops of blood should follow, there is no occa- 

 sion for apprehension. It may be stanched with a little saliva, mixed 

 with pulverized sugar. This operation, however, should only be performed 

 on those goldfinches whose bill is very pointed, which often happens in caii- 

 tivity. 'Ibis is absolutely necessary, because this bird, pursuing the female, 

 may wound her with his sharp bill, and prick the little ones in disgorging 

 to them their food, which will destroy them. This inconvenience never 

 takes place with goldfinches at liberty, for their bills are never so pointed, 

 as the bills of the caged birds. If a female goldfinch is paired with a male 

 canary, she should be two years old, for it is seldom that she lays in the first 

 year. These birds, natiu'ally wild, should be rendered as tame and familiar 

 as the canaries, which may be accomplished by puttingthcm in a low place, 

 where there is i>leuty of company. It must not be imagined that all the 

 mules which result from this alliance will be handsome. Of some, the 

 plumage is of a very common kind, and the song very inferior. It would 

 be useless to give any description of them, for they vary ad itifinilum, and 

 no description would suit any but the individual described. It is siiflicicnt 

 to say, that it is constantly observed that the mules resulting from those 

 mixtures resemble the father in the head, tail, and limbs, and the mother in 

 the rest of the body ; and that the mules which come from thi' male linnet 

 and female canary, have neither the white colour of the mother, nor the 

 red of the father, as some have pretended. 



The union of canaries with siskins, whether males or females, require* 

 less attention. It is enough to let loose one or many of these bird.?, but al. 

 ways of the same sex, in a chamber, or large aviary, with canaries, and 

 they will soon be seen to couple. We have said, of the same sex, because 

 when the sexes are diflerent the birds will naturally prefer their own spe- 

 cies. ITie goldfinch, on the contrary, will only pair with the canary in a 

 cage ; to the linnet, greenfinch, and l)ullfin?h, the cage and the aviary am 



