APPENDIX. 457 



me, are so generally known to have occurred in other countries, that 

 I hesitate to introduce any matter on the subject ; — some readers, 

 however, may wish for it. 



Insessores. — At Fort Williaoa, near Belfast, hybrids have often been 

 produced between the canary-fincli {Fringilla canaria), and goldfinch 

 (F. carduelis) ; such produce is very common. These hybrids never 

 bred there, either among themselves or with birds of any species, 

 though opportunities for their doing so were afforded. A female 

 bird of this kind has been mentioned to mc as having had young to 

 a male canary-finch at Armagh. 



A brood between the canary-finch and green linnet {Fr'mr/illa cJdoris) 

 was produced at Fort William, and one also between the canary-finch 

 and grey linnet {F. cannahlna). 



Mr. E,. K. Sinclaire possessed a hybrid, bred between the last two 

 species ; it was an excellent song-bird, having chiefly the notes of the 

 grey linnet. 



A most singidarly and beautifully marked hybrid, bred between the 

 canary-finch and goldfinch, was shown to me in October 1845, by 

 Thomas Sinclaire, Esq. This bird, which was of the ordinary colour 

 of hybrids so produced, previous to the last moult, may be 

 described as — Having the head quite black, with a broad collar of 

 pure white round the entire neck ; the throat is pure white, and joins 

 the collar; the plumage of the bftek exhibits a mixture of brown 

 and black, resembling more, perhaps, that of the hedge accentor, than 

 any other of our native birds, but the deep shades are darker and 

 blacker than in that species. The upper portion of the wings, viewed 

 at rest upon the body, present a mixture of dark brown and black ; 

 the quills are all pure black, except a quill in one wing, of a golden 

 yellow colour. The tail, excepting one whitish feather, is all black. 



the black grouse and pheasant. Another instance was made known to me in A2)ril 

 '1850, by Mr. Robert M. Austiu, an eye-wituess of the fact. At Waterloo cottage, 

 within a mile of Ayr, where this young gentleman resided, a female commou thrush 

 (T. Musicus) and male blackbml {T. merula) paired in the summer of 1849, built a 

 nest in a small shrub, and produced three young in .June, which were parti-eoloured, 

 having some black spots, the size of a sixpence, on their breasts. The notes of one 

 of these youug birds were frequently heard, and differed from those both of blackbird 

 and thrush, in being more detached. Both parents are stated to have fed and tended 

 the youug. My attention was first called to this interesting circumstance by the 

 Rev. Wm. M'llwaiue, of Belfast, who happened to pay a visit to the place at 

 the time. 



VOL. III. 2 I 



