ORDER PASSERES. 259 



The bill of the goldfinch is liable, especially in captivity, 

 to elongate, sometimes to such a degree that one mandible so 

 far passes the other, that the bird cannot take up its aliment- 

 If the mandibles elongate equally, another inconvenience 

 results ; in feeding the young or the female, the male is apt 

 to wound them grievously. To prevent this, the mandibles 

 should be equalized and blunted with scissors. 



The mules from the goldfinch and canary are more robust 

 than the latter, and live longer. Their song is also more 

 brilliant ; but Buifon says, that they imitate airs with diffi- 

 culty. Others, on the contrary, pretend that they can very 

 easily be taught by the bird-organ and flageolet. These 

 mules resemble the male in the form of the bill, and the 

 colours of the head and wings, and the female in the rest of 

 the body. Some beautiful varieties result from this alliance. 

 M. Vieillot once caught a mule, which he conceives was the 

 produce of a male greenfinch and female goldfinch, judging 

 from its size, colours, and song. This bird did not appear 

 to be the result of any forced union ; it always remained 

 extremely wild, and by no means familiarized with the cage — 

 a seeming confirmation of the last remark. It was brought, 

 notwithstanding, to couple with a female canary ; but nothing 

 resulted from the union. Some, however, say that these 

 females are not unproductive, and that the second generation 

 insensibly approaches the characters of the male; but this 

 second generation must be marvellously rare, for no authentic 

 proof appears of its having ever been witnessed. These 

 mules, however, pair very readily with each other or with 

 canaries ; but the eggs produced are not fecundated. The 

 female mules construct their nests much better than the 

 canaries ; and are such excellent nurses that they may be 

 frequently substituted for the others, when the latter are sick, 

 or are bad mothers. 



In autumn the goldfinches assemble together, live, during 



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