176



Dr. E. HopJcinson—The Greenfinch in Captivity



he believed was bred by Miss Reeves, who bred the Brambling-

Chaffinch hybrids.


Greenfinch X Mexican Rosefinch ( Carpodacus mexicanus (Muller)).


Bred by Wade in 1914, a first for the United Kingdom, and I do

not think it has been bred since. See B.N., 1915, Jan. inset., where the

name used is “ Ruddy Finch


Greenfinch x Scarlet Rosefinch (C. erythrinus (Pallas)).


This cross is on record, but I think an error, for the real cross was

the other way (Tomlinson in 1916), see B.N., 1916, 206, 256 ; 1917,

123. There may have been doubt about which species of Rosefinch

was the father, but it seems certain that the Greenfinch was the female

parent.


Greenfinch X Bullfinch.


A not uncommon show bird, at any rate in the past, when one used

to expect to see an example or two at the big shows. Yale and Page

mention the cross, Neunzig ( Einh ., 335) says it has been bred abroad,

and Allen Silver includes it in the list of hybrids which have certainly

been obtained, which he gave in A.M., 1911, 351.


Greenfinch X Canary.


Commonly bred and often to be seen at shows.


Hybrids in which the Greenfinch was the female parent have also

been recorded as follows :—


With males of the Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Himalayan Siskin,

H. Siskin x Greenfinch hybrid, Twite, Linnet. Lesser Redpoll, Scarlet

and Mexican Rosefinches. The female Japanese Greenfinch has also

reared young to a male Goldfinch.


There the records are for what they are worth. I personally am

satisfied with most, but should welcome further proofs and new records.

It may be as well to explain the abbreviations used.


A. M., of course = the Avicultural Magazine.


B. N. is Bird Notes, the journal of the Foreign Bird Club, 1903

to 1924.


Einh. stands for Einheimische Stubenvogel (1913), the volume dealing

with European Birds of Neunzig’s edition of Russ, which is certainly

the most authoritative work we have on such birds in confinement.



