1902.] F. Finn — General Notes on Variation in Birds. 165 



which breeders have had to work. I shall therefore take a number of 

 domestic or protected species in detail, and discuss the colour-variations 

 to which each appears to be subject without the intervention of selection. 



The Canary {Serinus serinus canaria). Dr. Bowdler Sharpe in The 

 British Museum Catalogue of Birds., treats the Wild Canary of the 

 Atlantic islands as an insular form of the European Serinfinch (Serinus 

 serinus); it differs from this continental bird in darker colouration and 

 longer tail. It varies much when not bred systematically. 



Birds of the wild colour, called green in the fancy, are common ; 

 they are often mistaken by people not well-acquainted with Canaries for 

 Mules or hybrids. They are the strongest in constitution. Yellow birds 

 or lutinos are, as is well known, the commonest. They may be either 

 " buff," i.e. J pale whitish yellow, or " yellow," which is bright yellow. If 

 " yellow " birds are continually paired, the offspring is scanty in feather. 



A pallid form is not rare, in which the plumage is pale brown with 

 slightly darker streaks ; this is the " cinnamon " of the fancy. Once 

 I have seen specimens of a dark brown form among common singing 

 Canaries in England. These birds, although undoubtedly pure-bred 

 Canaries, showed in one or two instances no trace of green or yellow, 

 being simply warm brown with dark streaks, and looking rather like 

 hen linnets. White canaries have recently been bred. (Feathered 

 World, June 13th, 1902, p. 1039.) 



I have read of grey forms, but have never seen any such. Pied 

 birds are very common ; the marking is commonly asymmetrical. The 

 parts most prone to exhibit dark feathers in light-pied birds are 

 the secondary quills, feathers round the eye, and two outer tail- 

 feathers. Dark-pied birds run to white in the tail. Cinnamons may 

 be pied, but no gradation seems to occur between cinnamon and green. 



I have once or twice seen green birds among Chinese specimens 

 with the central part of the quills and tail marked with yellow as in 

 the Greenfinch. A male Green Canary I once knew for several years 

 began to show yellow about the head with advancing age. 



The bills and feet of Canaries are horny in the green, and fleshy- 

 white in the light-coloured types. The retention of the dark colour 

 in the legs is noteworthy, considering the evanescence of this in wild- 

 caught captive Finches of other species. 



In view of the variability of the tame Canary, the following opposite 

 instances in allied Finches are interesting : — 



Mr. G. C. Swailes (AvicuUural Magazine, Vol. I., 1894-95, p. 118) 

 gives his experience with the Twite in confinement (Acanthis flavirostris), 

 A pied cock, about half-white, and a pure white hen, being paired, 

 produced five young ; the only two reared were both normally coloured. 



