WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 
general antipathy exists in opposition to keeping a (so- 
called) mongrel race of any animal. 
In pointing out the best known hybrids that are, and 
have been, prominently brought before the public in the 
shape of birds, and which are, and have been, of small size, 
I will remark that any person who has paid but the small- 
est attention to the subject, cannot fail to admit that a 
goldfinch and a bullfinch are two well-marked and distinct 
species, and that these birds have frequently bred together 
and unmistakable mules have been the result. The mule 
goldfinch more frequently breeds with a female canary, and 
the latter bird will breed freely with several well-recognized 
and distinct species of finches. 
It is perfectly true that in a state of nature wild animals 
of distinct species rarely interbreed. A few well-known 
instances of such a thing happening are, however, recorded 
upon the most trustworthy and unquestionable authority. 
But the object of the present remarks is to elicit closer 
observation, and cause more attention to be given and 
more experiments to be tried by competent persons who 
have the opportunity to investigate this hitherto neglected 
subject. 
In France the breeding of the different kinds of game 
birds, mostly of the family of the Phasianidx, and the 
crossing of the various species with the intention of test- 
ing the kinds that produce fertile hybrids, are now attract- 
ing considerable attention. It has already been proved 
that several well-marked species when bred together 
produce fertile hybrids. In other cases, in which the 
parents belong to genera that are far removed, such as the 
pheasant and common fowl, the result has been a barren 
or sterile offspring, and this is a very reasonable result, 
because the difference between the common fowl and 
pheasant is so great that they have always been considered 
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