MULE (OR BASTARD) BREEDING. 



109 



on a yellow ground, bear all the marks of the goldfinch, 

 more or less plainly, are much more common, but the rarest 

 and most valuable are those which are of a pure whitish- 

 yellow, with only a red mark on the head. Linnet-bastards 

 are either simply of a brownish-grey, or yellow with grey 

 spots, without a vestige of red. They are not handsome, 

 but their sonorous, flute-like note is very pleasant. Green- 

 finch-bastards, which are either grey-green, or yellow with 

 greenish-grey spots, do not sing particularly well, and 

 are neither handsome nor graceful. " Girlitz " bastards, 

 greenish-grey, or spotted yellow and grey, of smaller size 

 and with a short, thick beak, have also no song worth men- 

 tioning. Siskin-bastards, grej 7 , or yellowish-green, rarely 

 spotted and also small, are said to be able to learn to sing 

 very well, and to be persevering. 



Fridrich asserts that, although in rare cases only, bull- 

 finch-bastards may be bred and raised from a male bull- 

 finch and a large canary female, or, vice versa, a young 

 bullfinch hen and a large and robust canary cock ; but 

 crested birds should be avoided becaube the crest does not 

 look at all well upon a thick head. The song is said to be 

 low but very pleasing. 



According to the brothers Miiller, these rare bastards are 

 bred in the following manner. One takes a hatching-cage 

 which is divided in two bj a grated partition ; the bullfinch 

 is placed in one of these divisions, and the canary hen in 

 the other. The cage must stand by itself in a room, so 

 that the pair can see or hear no other birds. In a favour- 

 able case, the bullfinch will soon feed the female through 

 the railing. As soon as the pair are firmly joined, the rail- 

 ing will be replaced by a wooden partition in which there is 

 a small door which may be closed, so that the birds cannot 

 see one another. They will now be continually luring each 

 other, and one feeds them for a few days with an exciting 



