On Mules. 91 



always with the like result. Although this,, at first 

 sight may seem somewhat strange, it is readily accounted 

 for when we remember that the yellowhammer is not a 

 finch, hut a bunting, and consequently that the two 

 birds belong to two different species which have little 

 or no affinity with each other. 



The same remark holds good also with regard to the 

 greenfinch, which together with its congener, the bull- 

 finch, although commonly called finches, do not belong 

 to the finch tribe, but are members of the gros-beak 

 species, which we think is sufficient to put it also out 

 of the category of desirable or likely mates for the 

 canary. 



The serin, the citril, and the siskin, not being common 

 in England, we can say little about, never having tried 

 the two former, whilst we have possessed two of the 

 latter, neither of which ever showed the least signs of 

 mating with any of our canaries, with whom they were 

 constantly kept. That others have been more successful 

 we do not doubt, but we think we may safely say that 

 the chance of success with all these is at the best but 

 indifferent and remote. A mule between a canary and 

 a citril finch, if the former is neither white nor yellow, 

 says Bechstein, differs little from the common grey or 

 green canary, except in being more slender, and having 

 the beak shorter and thicker ; while a mule between a 

 siskin and canary, if the mother be a green canary, will 

 resemble a female siskin ; but if she be white or yellow 

 their colours are lighter, yet without differing greatly 

 from those of the siskin, which they always resemble in 

 shape. 



