20



CORRESPONDENCE.



IMPOSSIBLE MULES.


Sir, —It lias been asserted with great vehemence by certain avi-

culturists that certain hybrids are impossible. Among those especially

cited are (curiously enough) crosses between the two nearly related genera

Serinus and Sycalis.


In one of my aviaries I breed a good many examples of the Saffron

Finch, and, early in the present year, I had all my breeding Canaries in the

same aviary. Before these were removed one or two of them were observed

singing vociferously to hen Saffron-finches. The young of the latter have

now moulted and during the process two of them died, but a third

(although it walks like its mother) has none of the saffron tinting of

S. flaveola, whilst the flights are largely coloured with Canary yellow.

This bird is a little shorter than typical Saffron-finches; and I have no doubt

that it is a genuine hybrid, produced without intention on my part.


A. G. Butler.



PARROT FINCHES.


Sir, — I hope Mr. Phillipps has satisfied himself that he has

successfully reared some young Parrot Finches this Summer : but I cannot

quite understand how there can be any chance of confusing the young and

adults of this species. The young at first are of a very dull green on the

upper parts, with the throat, breast and belly of a dingy yellowish brown,

and there is not an}' scarlet visible for the first few weeks after the birds

leave the nest.


I started, this Spring, in my garden-aviary (covered portion heated

with hot-water pipes) with three Parrot Finches—a pair and an odd female.

On April the 20th, on my return from the Continent, I was told that the

Parrot Finches had a nest in a box, and that the young had been heard for

some time. On the 25th, a young brood was sitting all day at the mouth of

the hole, and on the next day three fine young ones had flown and were

sitting on the highest perch in the aviary, carefully tended by the parents.

They were easily reared on canary seed and millet, the parents always

having access to fresh chickweed, shepherd’s purse, etc.


On June the 6tli I left home. At that time there were slight

indications of scarlet on the foreheads and round the angles of the mouths.

On my return, on August the 1st, I found that the young had entirely

assumed the bright colour of the adult, and, in fact, were only to be

distinguished by the superior smartness of their new suits. The old birds

went to nest again, but only hatched one young bird, which left the nest

prematurely and perished. I have had eggs laid in my aviary before, but,

until this Summer, without young being hatched.


While young Parrot Finches are in the nest, and for a week or more

after flying, there are to be seen small warts on the edges of the gapes, like

small opals or cats’-eyes. Similar bead-like warts are noticeable outside

the mouths of young Gouldian Finches, with the addition that, in these,

there are conspicuous black spots on the palate, which are seen when the



