uo 
Correspondence. 
" Fkatiikued Mules. The White Canaries were bred from 
ordinary Canaries, and, in fact, the breeding of Canaries with other 
Finches has conclusively proved that, so far from species -erossing^ 
among such birds producing colour variation, it actually inhibits it. 
If a Yellow Canary be mated with a wild Finch of another species the 
result is almost always a dark-coloured bird, resembling the wild Green 
Canary in depth of colour, the 'light mule,' which shows much of the 
Canary ycllnw, being so rare as to bo excessively valuable. Similarly-, 
the equine mule, though more variable than the ass, as it usually 
shows horse colours, is less so than the horse istelf, as it is very rarel3' 
pied or spotted. Besides this. Finch-mules, like the equine mules, are 
generally, if not always, sterile, so that an}' breed-modification by 
crossing in the case of these animals is out of the question." 
■ The only certainly known case in which two distinct wild 
species of animals, near enough to produce fertile hybrids, have been 
crossed in domestication is that of the Goose ; the Chinese Goose, so- 
familiar in our parks, being the ordinary domestic goose of the East, 
and crossing freely, with quite fertile results, with the specifically 
distinct domestic G^ese of Europe. Yet, on the whole, hybrids between 
these two Geese are relatively very rare, and the domestic Geese of 
the w^orld can be definitely referred to one species or the other, and do- 
not form a composite race ; the tame Geese of India, regarded by the 
observant and accurate Blyth as a hybrid race, being certainly nowa- 
days, to all intents and purposes, pure Chinese." — From the Dail't/ 
Standard, 21-iii.-'l4, per REV. G. H. RAYNOR. 
Correspondence 
BREEDING RESULTS— 1913. 
Sir, — Last season was not so good with me as previous ones 
have been, and only the following birds were successfully reared : 
Zebra Finches {Taeniopygia castanotis), ten from one i)air. 
Stanley Parrakcets (Platyccrciis icicrotis), three. 
Magpie Mannikins {Aniai<rcsihcs f ringoilliclcs ), bought as a pair, 
but arc two hens, twenty-eight eggs were laid during the season. 
Knnhil. F,b. 15th. 1011. J. SMITH. 
SILVERBILL HYBRIDS, ETC. 
Sir, — It will probably bo of interest if I give a few notes 
of the rearing of Silverbill X Bronze -wing Mannikin Hybrids in my 
email aviary last year, as I do not think this particular cross ha3 
been previously bred in Great Britain. 
The birds were bred in an out-door aviary, 12 X 6 X 6ft. 
high, 4 feet of this length being given up to the shelter, the remain- 
8ft. forming an open wire Sight. 
