392 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, March 26, 1861. 
out of her cage she would fight on the table, retreating to her 
cage to rest, and again returning to the charge. Sometimes I 
would perform the part of a cat, pounce on her, and carry her 
off in my mouth; then laying her down on her back, she would 
remain motionless till I turned her over, when she would spring 
to her feet, and either peck my finger or fly off to shake and 
arrange her disordered toilet. 
After awhile my stock was increased by a Trumpeter Pigeon 
and a collared Turtle Dove, and these had to perform certain 
peregrinations with Mary Goldfinch as jockey, or they were 
formed into a pyramid—the Pigeon forming the base, and the 
Goldfinch the apex. One day Mary Goldfinch flew away, and 
long and loud were my lamentations, and when my father 
returned home he started off to procure me another bird. It 
was a very wet afternoon, and he had not proceeded far when he 
met a man who had picked up my poor Goldfinch in the street, 
drenched in the rain ; and thus by a mere accident my favourite 
bird was restored to me. To prevent a recurrence of the same 
misfortune, my father cut the feathers of one wing to prevent 
her flying. But in this state she lost much of her value in my 
ideas, and I secretly drew out the cut feathers, which in time 
were replaced by new ones; and thus fledged, she again made 
her escape, but after disporting herself ip the garden for a time 
she returned of her own accord; and though she often escaped 
afterwards, she always came back to her cage when tired or 
hungry. Poor Mary lived several years, and, unlike many pets, 
died a natural death, much respected and regretted. 
The Goldfinch is frequently taught to draw water, as I 
described while writing of the Bedpoll. Although capable of 
being tamed when caught old, as was the case of Mary Goldfinch, 
yet they are even more tractable when reared from the nest. 
When it is desired to raise Goldfiuches by hand, they should 
be taken from the nest when about half fledged. The older, 
however, the better always, provided they are not too old to 
open their mouths to be fed, and they may be reared on a paste 
of sopped bread and maw seed (poppy seed). Some persons 
use rapeseed, but if that is used it should previously be scalded 
and well washed to deprive it of its pungency. Others use 
crushed hempseed; but I think maw seed is much the best. 
They require feeding often, and the food should never be given 
them if at all sour. Some people, to avoid the trouble of feeding 
by hand, place the nest containing the yotmg birds in a cage and 
hang it on the tree where found, and leave the old birds to feed 
their young through the bars of the cage. This plan often suc¬ 
ceeds, the young birds being at the same time provided with seed 
and water for them to peck at if inclined, that they may learn 
to feed before the old ones forsake them, which, if it is an early 
brood, the old ones are apt to do in order to breed again. These 
young ones, though they have never flown at liberty, yet are 
more shy than nestlings reared by hand ; but are tamer than 
the Greypate brancliers caught after they can feed themselves. 
All are, however, successfully used for Mule breeding, and may be 
coupled with Canaries the succeeding spring, though most fanciers 
advise their being two years old before they are put up to breed. 
When young birds are not easily obtainable, old-caught birds 
are often successfully used, but with less certainty, and they re¬ 
quire more management and attention. Some fanciers procure the 
birds from the autumn flights and keep them in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Canaries during the winter. Others catch the Goldfinches 
late in spring, and introduce them to the Canaries at once; 
but this practice is less certain, and many of the Goldfinches 
die in meating off at that season of the year. 
As Goldfinches breed late, the end of April will be early 
enough to put them with the Canaries. They require much 
watching ; for although some will pair readily and make good 
husbands and attentive fathers, others are mere mischievous 
gallants, which will only flirt with the hen Canaries, and amuse 
themselves by pulling the nest to pieces, eating the eggs, or 
pulling the young ones from the nest and pecking off their beaks 
or feet: therefore, if Mr. Goldfinch exhibits liis mischievous 
propensities, the eggs should be removed as soon as laid, sub¬ 
stituting a bone egg for the time until all are laid, then he must 
be removed, the hen’s nest artificially made and the eggs 
returned, which, if she is an attentive mother and well supplied 
with proper food, she will be able to rear by herself. Some 
breeders of these hybrids use long breeding-cages divided into 
several compartments, in each of which a hen Canary is placed. 
The Goldfinch is first put to one, and when she has laid he is 
let into the next, and so on to them all in succession. 
The Hybrids, or Goldfinch Mules, are much prized as ex¬ 
cellent singing birds, and are often taught a fancy song, com¬ 
posed of the notes of many kinds of birds, and according to then’ 
stoutness and execution are they of proportionately higher value. 
In plumage they are mostly of a dark colour, something of what 
might be expected from the mixture of the wild grey colour 
of a Canary with that of a Goldfinch ; but the great aim of 
Goldfinch Mule fanciers is to breed them regularly pied, the 
body being yellow, or mealy, and the wings and tail resembling 
a Goldfinch. Pied Goldfinch Mules are not uncommon, but 
perfect regularity is very rarely obtained. To insure the pro¬ 
duction of pied Mules, some recommend Goldfinches with an 
extra number of white spots on the inner web of the tail-feathers, 
while others declare that a Cheveral or white-throated Gold¬ 
finch is requisite. Neither of these will insure success, and it is 
more to the hen Canary than to the Goldfinch that we must 
look for success. To attain this purpose it is recommended to 
procure a pair of as regularly marked pied Canaries as possible. 
Breed from them; then mate father and daughter, or mother 
and son, together, and again breed brother and sister together, 
always selecting the best marked and most regularly pied birds. 
This in-and-in breeding reduces the productive powers, but 
causes a tendency to produce light plumage; and from these 
birds, “ bred down soft ” as the fancy express it, are pied Mules 
to be expected when mated with a Goldfinch. Few, however, 
will care to take this trouble, and will therefore select pied hens 
for Mule breeding, and take their chance, if they have been 
previously properly bred. 
The translation of M. Hervieux, 1718, previously quoted, says 
—“ If you would have beautiful mongrels and good singers, 
they must be bred out of a Goldfinch, which is the beautifullest 
of birds as to his plumage. They may be said to be no less 
charming to the ear than they arc agreeable to the eyes, the 
great plenty there is of them occasions their not being valued 
as they deserve. Those that build their nests among thistles 
are distinguished above the rest as being stronger, sprightlyer, 
and better for singing than others. They differ something from 
the rest in the colour of their feathers, which are somewhat 
darker than those that are bred in other places. 
“ If you would be successful in breeding such fine mongrels, 
you must couple them thus :—Take a white cock two years old, 
and that has not been coupled with hen Canary birds, for most 
Canary birds are not like our nice persons —they do not love 
change; besides that, the hen Goldfinch must have been bred up 
by hand, or, at least, it must be very long since she was taken that 
she may be grown tame and familiar, and used by degrees to- 
feed on rapeseed and millet with very little hempseed for reasons 
afore laid down. 
“ You must not fail from time to time to put some thistle 
seed into the huts (breeding-cage), where Goldfinches are sitting, 
for they are very fond of that seed, which is in a manner their 
first food. 
“ Put this mongrel pair together into a little cage a month 
sooner than the others, that they may have time to be acquainted 
before they come to make Jove. 
“Thus you see you may expect a fine mongrel breed, for the 
cock Canary bird, whose kind commonly prevails, will produce 
much white, and the hen Goldfinch communicating a little of 
her several colours, the young ones will be worth any money. I 
do not say the contrary may not be done—this is, to put a cock 
Goldfinch to a white or Copple-crown hen Canary; but the kind 
of the cock for the most part prevailing in the breed, as has been 
said, the little ones bred by this latter couple are almost all 
Goldfinches.”— B. P. Brent. 
(To he continued .) 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Rabbits and Cali. Ducks.—“ I perceive your correspondent, ‘ R. S. S. r 
mentions the ear of a cross-bred, lialf-lop Rabbit is generally found 
deficient in length. AVill he be so good as to say if he refers to the erect 
ear only or to both ? Are they of different lengths, or equal 1 Can 
‘R. S. S.,’ or any other Rabbit fancier, inform me if he has found the 
Angora variety more dull or stupid than other sorts? AVill any breeder of 
Call Ducks kindly say if he has found their eggs hatch sooner or in less 
time than those of the common kinds ? I find that common Ducks’ eggs, 
if properly incubated, hatch in twenty-six days, and wish to know if Call 
Ducks hatch in a shortev period.”— B. I’. Brunt. 
A Vicious Rabbit (A Constant Subscriber). — Is your correspondent 
certain his Rabbit is a doe : if so, there is no remedy but to kill her. I 
have had them the same way, but never succeeded in breeding from them. 
I have muzzled them similarly to a dog, but all to no purpose, as they 
would not breed. Some does will attack a buck when in young, others 
will appear vicious, but the buck will master them. But they must be 
watched ; and, if very violent, take the buck away.—R, S. S. 
B5 66 0 
