Miscellaneous. 599 



of either of their parent stocks ; but I do not remember that I ever 

 heard an instance of an animal of pure breed in a wild and unrestained 

 condition by choice selecting an hybrid mate. 



The following are the results of my experiments made during this 

 spring and summer. 



Early in the spring I paired one of these young cock birds (which I 

 have described as being three parts Goldfinches to one part Canary 

 bird) with a hen Canary ; a nest was soon made and three eggs laid ; 

 the cock bird, however, destroyed the nest, but I succeeded in saving 

 the eggs, and placed them under a Canary bird : of this number one 

 young bird was hatched, which is now full-fledged and in good health. 

 . After this partial failure a second nest was built, which shared the fate 

 of the former one ; I then removed the cock bird and turned him into 

 the avairy, when he almost immediately selected another Canary bird 

 as his mate. Upon my putting this pair into a breeding-cage a nest 

 was formed in less than a week, and four eggs were laid ; I had now 

 taken the precaution to line the nest basket with flannel, so that al- 

 though the nest was pulled to pieces, as on former occasions, the eggs 

 escaped destruction, and upon them the Canary bird is now sitting. I 

 again removed the cock bird, and upon his return to the avairy he 

 at once made up again to his former mate, and she has this morning laid 

 an egg. In truth I never saw a bird more ardent for propagation than 

 this hybird. 



My second experiment has been made by pairing my other hybrid 

 cock bird with an hybrid hen of the same nest ; the result has been 

 three eggs, one of which was hatched yesterday morning by a Canary 

 bird. 



Now as the second pair have proved prolific (which are three parts 

 Goldfinches to one part Canary bird), I do not see any reason why 

 I may not obtain next year an equally successful result by putting 

 together a pair of birds (if I succeed in rearing a male and female), the 

 produce of my first experiment; and if so, a cross breed might be per- 

 petuated, which would be five parts Canary birds to three parts Gold- 

 finches. — George Cookson. 



