THE GOLDFINCH. 
The goldfinches should be allowed to visit, without disturbance, 
until the snow begins to melt, and before flying off to some 
other locality, they are captured, tamed in a birdcage, and 
subsequently accustomed to fly about the room. The cage 
must be constructed so that the door will close when it is re- 
quired by means of some spring that the bird can act upon 
without being frightened. A bird thus trained may safely be 
allowed its liberty at the time it moults in August. It is 
pretty certain to return in December when the snow falls, and 
will sing far better than if it had been kept in confinement. Its 
nest ought to be kept constantly at the window, that it may 
find what it wants when it returns. But it rarely presents 
itself before the commencement of winter, and then, in order to 
recapture it, the cage must be so placed that it will close 
immediately the bird enters. The most certain method is to 
attract it by a call-bird. When recaptured, it may be kept in 
the cage until the season of liberty arrives again.” 
As a rule, the mule-hen will not breed ; but, like other rules, 
it has its exceptions, and rather a remarkable one was furnished 
the Bev. J. F. Wood by his friend, Mr. Cookson. The latter 
gentleman says, “ In the autumn of 1838, a male-bird, the 
produce of a goldfinch and a hen-canary bird, escaped from my 
aviary, and was not seen again until the following spring, 
when we were agreeably surprised by the re- appearance of our 
lost favourite, in company with a goldfinch. As the pair were 
inseparable, we at once suspected that they had mated, and in 
a few days our suspicions were confirmed by seeing them feed 
each other and collect materials for building. 
“ By watching their movements we soon discovered their 
nest, in a cedar -tree near the aviary. In due time four eggs 
were laid, which I carefully removed, and placed under a 
canary bird ; they, however, all proved abortive. In a few 
days after this disappointment, a second nest was built by 
them in the same tree, which we left undisturbed, and the 
result was favourable; five birds were hatched, which I took 
from the nest when about ten days old, and brought up by 
hand ; of this number, two cocks and two hens are still living. 
“ I am aware that hybrids in a state of, captivity and 
restraint have not unfrequently proved prolific, when brought 
to pair with a mate of either of their parent stocks ; but I do 
not remember that I ever heard an instance of an animal of 
pure breed in a wild and unrestrained condition by choice 
selecting a hybrid mate.” 
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