Editorial. 
321 
Alario Finch (Alario alario) x Canary: In the aviary 
of the Hon. Mary C. Hawke, a brood of three, of thLs cross 
have been reared this season, which are proving good song- 
sters, as is usually the case. This cross as a rule do not 
produce handsome hybrids, the colours being somewhat 
nondescript and impure. One of the above brood has recently 
died and the body was sent to us for inspection, as it was 
a very handsome specimen, we append discription, it was 
a male. 
l)psc) i})tion : Head, neck and throat dusky-black, with the centre of 
ear coverts and a small bib yellowish ; wings and mantle mahogany-brown, 
quills blackish-brown, primaries tipped and secondaries margined and tipped 
with mahogany-brown ; middle and lower back and upper tail coverts palish 
cinnamon ; tail-feathers black, with broad mahogany -brown margins ; chest 
and upper bi'east yellowish-white, remainder of under surface white, sides of 
body and under tail-coverts pale brown; beak, upper mandible blackish-horn, 
lower light horn colour ; legs and feet blackish-brown, claws deep black. 
Total length 5 inches, tail 2, 
The shape and size that of a Canary, the various 
colour areas being fairly pure, and not blotched or i>iurred 
as is usual with this cross. 
Black-headed Siskin (C. icterica) x Canary Hybrid : 
In Mr. Nicalson's Aviary at Walton-on-Tliames, several broods of 
the above hybrid have been reared, and very handsome birds they 
are too, the cocks being good songsters ; Mr. Nicalson kindly sent 
us a pair for inspection. In size and shape they are about tlie size 
of a Norwich Canary, but in many respects they favour the iSiskin, 
notably so in all the cocks having dark heads, and in the striations 
and wing markings, though there are no distinct yellow wing bars. 
The beak, legs and feet are canary like and of light liorn-coloui-. 
Description: Forehead, crown, iOxes, eai-coveits, throat and 
centre of fore-neck and breast bronzy-black; chin and eye region 
yellowish -olive; neck, mantle, back and wings olive-green, stiiated 
and variegated with blajki^h -olive; quills and tail feathers ))]ackish, 
with olive-green margins; upper tail-cove: ts golden yellow; sides of 
neck yellowish-olive; abdomen brownish -oiive, with a streak of gold- 
en-yellow in the centre, and the sides of body strongly suffused with 
the same colour. 
Female: Very similar, but lacks the bionzy-blaok markings 
which adorn the crown, throat and breast of the male; the hues of 
her plumage are not so pure, the markings and colour areas less dis- 
tinct than those of her mate^ but nevertheless a handsome bird. 
