28 THE CANARY. 



linnet is not so likely to breed as the gold- 

 finch, lior will the young ones be either so 

 handsome, or so free in song as the mules 

 from the latter bird, though they are excel- 

 lent birds to bring up under a wood lark, or 

 tit lark, as no bird can imitate the beautiful 

 notes of those songsters so well as the 

 linnet, or linnet mule; the Hnnet mule is 

 the best of the two, as he sings with more 

 vigour, and dwells longer on the notes of 

 the wood lark than the linnet has power to 

 do ; so well indeed have I heard this bird 

 imitate the wood lark, that I am certain no 

 one could have told the difference. 



The young mules should be taken from 

 the old birds as soon as they can feed 

 themselves, and hung near a wood lark, 

 taking care that they are out of hearing of 

 the old ones, or they would otherwise be 

 certain to gather some of the linnet's notes, 

 which they would mingle with the song of 

 the wood lark, and thereby take away from 

 their value, as it is a great chance that they 

 would ever leave it off: still it will be 

 superior to the song of the linnet. 



Whilst breeding, the old birds must be 



