’ 
206 Hypbridity in Animals. 
blance in song and plumage, to the domestic canary, than to the 
— of Germany, the Venturon of Italy, or the Serin o 
"The celebrated ornithologist Bechstein, adds the following re- 
marks: “ We might almost conclude that the Venturon (F. cit- 
rinellady the Serin (F. serinus) and the Siskin (Carduelis spinus), 
are the wild originals of the cage-canary. I have seen a bird 
produced between the Siskin and Serin which perfectly resem- 
bled the variety called the green canary ;—I have, also, seen a 
mule from a grey female canary, whose true parentage could not 
be distinguished.” The Siskin, it will be observed, belongs to a 
different genus from the wild canary. 
The canary is now known to breed, not only with the three 
species just mentioned, but also, with the goldfinch, linnet, spar- 
row, chaflinch, bunting, greenfinch and bullfinch; and with sev- 
eral of them, it produces a fertile offspring. 
M. Veilliot once caught a mule bird, which he supposed to be 
the produce of a male greenfinch (F’. chloris) and a female gold- 
finch ; for it mingled the size, color and song of both these spe- 
cies. This bird did not appear to have resulted from the domes- 
tication of the parents, for it remained emcee wild, yet was 
brought to couple with a female canary.* 
A yet more remote alliance, that between a canary and a night- 
ingale, produced an egg that could not be hatched. ‘This fact 
con joined with others to which we have adverted, illustrates the 
remark of Prof. Temminck, that the occurence of prolific off- 
spring between een species of birds, is an evidence of the 
tween them; and that when the reverse takes 
pose (infertile ils it proves the disparity between the species 
thus brought together. 
- Hybrids of the Anatide.—The cross between the Anser cyg- 
noides and the common tame goose of Europe, is proverbially fre- 
quent, and the offspring has proved prolific.t Mr. Eyton and Mr. 
Blyth have recorded examples of this kind, and M. onan has 
seen the progeny extended through seven generation 
The Anser canadensis is often taken in the United States and 
reduced to the domestic state, in which it crosses with our com- 
mon goose, producing a hybrid offspring, which, however, ap- 
to be sterile. 
The swan (Cygnus olor) has crossed with the common Euro- 
pean goose, but I am not aware that the hybridity has been no- 
ticed beyond the first offspring. This fact is quoted by Dr. Prich- 
ard, from M. Frederick Cuvier. 
ariffith’s Cuvier, vii, p. 259. 
t aoe s Magazine, ix, p.511. Temminck, Manuel d'Ornithologie, i, p. 109. 
“eye , Monograph of Anatide. 
¢ Journal des avans, June, 1846. 
