CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS. 
i. prolific^ whicli the cross-breeds of the hard-billed* finchei^ 
tg i of France, England, and Germany, with the canary, are 
;j not. The best mule birds are those produced by the pair- 
ing of goldfinches, bullfinches, and linnets, with hen. 
I canaries. The first kind are commonly very beautiful birds, 
j and, like the third, may be easily procured 5 the second are 
1' much rarer, as, tractable as the bullfinch is, he does not 
favour an intermixture of races. Some authorities maintain,, 
that it is best to have a canary cock and hen of the other 
J species for pairing, as the hybrids are likely to possess, in a 
more eminent degree, the musical powers of the father. 
' Bechstein asserts that all these hybrids are capable of 
|, : propagating their kind ; but that the eggs of the first year 
, ! are not much bigger than peas, and the young birds very 
J j small and weak 5 this defect, however, he says, is less> 
observable in each succeeding brood. 
' CANARY BREEDING. 
In the matching of fancy birds for breeding, and espe- 
cially of canaries, it should ever be borne in mind, that 
the union of opposites are productive of the most harmo- 
nious results: thus, for example, a fine jonque cock, of a 
I strong, rich colour, with a considerable quantity of black 
in his plumes, should be matched with a soft-coloured 
I mealy hen, with as little black about her as may be, only 
I noting that her tail and wings are true and regular ; and for 
I a strong mealy cock provide a healthy jonque hen, whose 
I feathers are fine and soft, and markings perfectly even. 
' Again, if you have a bird which has too much ^^strength of 
I feather," as it is called ; that is, too many black spangles 
on the back, and too much dark colour when the belly 
feathers are blown up, with the plumage altogether coarser 
than it should be, match it with one of the softest, silki- 
est, and clearest coloured birds of the opposite sex you can 
procure. It has ever been observed, that a spangle-marked 
cock, with a mealy hue, has produced birds with backs more 
regularly spangled, and altogether finer, than if both parents 
had been so marked. So it is with crown-top, or crested 
canaries ; if you get one with a fine, full crown, match it 
with one that has none 5 singularly enough, a union of two 
crested birds generally produces a bare-polled progeny. 
