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any aviarist whose speciality was mules ’■’j would have a wide field 
here in which to make experiments. 
■ For our part we have no liking for hybrids, which are seldom much 
to look at, and are useless to those whose inclination prompts them 
to watch the reproduction in this cold and changeable climate of the 
denizens of tropical and sub-tropical regions, for they are invariably 
barren, and incapable of perpetuating their kind. In cases where the 
offspring of a “cross” proves itself to be fruitful, we are of opinion 
that the parents are varieties of the one and not two distinct species: 
for example, all the different varieties of the Domestic Pigeon will 
breed together, and produce a fruitful offspring, mongrel if the reader 
wishes, but certainly capable of generation: and the same thing happens 
with the common fowl; but mate the latter with a Turkey, or a Pheasant, 
and the progeny is absolutely barren. Whether the offspring of the 
cross union of the different species of Agapomis would be mongrels, 
or hybrids, we are not yet in a position to determine : but we are 
trying some experiments in this direction, which we expect will decide 
the question before long. 
