Notes from an 
Old Diary. 
(io8) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
which caused great surprise to everyone 
who saw it. They prophesied the bad 
luck it would bring me—it was a sure 
sign that I should have a broken limb. 
Well, I can now say I never had a 
broken limb, but, unfortunately, I had 
to have a leg off ; but that was not the 
bird’s fault. After I released it, I still 
used to feed it, and it kept about the 
garden for months, until another one 
came, and they fought, so it was killed. 
Concerning Greenfinches. 
The Greenfinches have also been 
great favourites of mine. Only three 
years ago I hand-reared a nest, giving 
them all away, also a large cock bird. 
This bird was with my Canaries, and 
learnt a great many of their notes, and 
could sing nearly as well, but if the 
Canaries got to higher notes then he 
would screech, which so upset my wife 
that I gave him away to a friend, who 
would not part with it for any money. 
A cock Greenfinch I had previous to 
this I tried the colour food on it. I 
cannot say that anything is gained, as 
the natural colours do not, in my 
opinion, come out so nice. 
About Colour Feeding. 
I hope the colour feeding of British 
birds will soon cease, so as we can get 
Nature from Nature’s birds. Canaries 
are, of course, quite different; feed 
them if you like, but don’t attempt to 
improve on Nature. I do hope the time 
will come, and soon, when all British 
birds will be exhibited in their natural 
plumage. This will increase the entries, 
and cause many more to take them up. 
One of the great secrets is to give them 
a natural moult out of doors, with 
plenty of Nature’s foods. The colours 
will then come. The bath, of course, 
must not be forgotten. Many a grand 
bird have I moulted in this way. If 
they are moulted indoors the colours 
are, of course, not so brilliant. Yellow- 
hammers I am also fond of, and their 
colour I have brought out more beauti¬ 
ful with a yellow feed. This bird will 
show colour feeding, perhaps, more than 
any other seed-eating bird. The yellow 
and grey Wagtails I have also colour 
fed. 
A Nest of Goldfinches. 
About eighteen years ago I caged a 
nest of Goldfinches. I found the nest 
with three young ones ready to fly. They 
were too far gone to hand-rear, as they 
flew out of the nest on my,going to the 
trees. These were pear tree birds. (1 
have found, I think, more nests in apple 
trees than any other.) I caged them, 
and all three turned out to be cocks. 
The largest bird and the smallest I kept 
for myself, and the middle one I gave 
away. Strange to say, my birds would 
not pair with the Canary, but the one 
I gave away did, and had four young 
ones the first nest, but all as dark as 
Sparrows. The next nest only two 
young ones were hatched. Then the 
hen Canary died when the young were 
about ten days old. I successfully 
hand-reared them, and they turned out 
to be cock and hen, but both dark. 
Mules Breeding. 
I had seen them pair, but I 
took no notice of them, as I was 
well aware that Mules never bred; 
but I found two eggs at the bottom 
of the cage. These I carefully 
marked, and put under a hen Canary 
which was sitting. Both proved to have 
birds in them, but they had died at 
about the tenth day. This fact some 
may dispute. It quite surprised me, foi' 
I never expected the eggs to be full. 
So there is something yet to be learned 
from Mules. They will breed, but of 
course not freely. I have heard of a 
similar instance, which I did not at the 
time credit, but after my experience 1 
thought it was correct, although no 
young was hatched, one egg out of 
three only being fertile. Since this 
happened, some years ago, I have noticed 
where young have been produced from 
Mules. Whether there is anything to be 
gained from this cross I have yet to 
learn, but it will be satisfactory if this 
problem is solved, and that Mules will 
breed. I don’t think they will turn out 
exhibition specimens, only quite ordinary 
Mutes. 
