The female is very like the male, hut is generally less bright in colour, smaller about the head, shorter about the neck and body, not so high on the shanks, and altogether of a form somewhat less elegant than that of the male. There is a bean-shaped feather under the bill, and the temples and circles round the eyes are deeper in colour than the other parts of the body.
The Canary breeds freely with allied species of birds, and many hybrids are recognised by breeders. Amongst the more common are the following: 1. Mules bred from a hen Canary and a Goldfinch.—These partake of the parental colours on both sides. The finest are produced from yellow or white hen canaries.
2. Mules bred from a hen Canary and a male Siskin.—The young always resemble the Siskin in shape. If the mother be green they will be like a hen Siskin; if she be white or yellow they will be lighter in colour than a Siskin, without however any great difference.
3. Mules bred between a ben Canary and a Green-Bird, or a Citril Finch.—When the mother is neither white nor yellow the young do not differ much from the Gray or Green Canary • hut they are generally rather more slender, and their bills are shorter and thicker.
4. Mules bred between a hen Canary and a Linnet.—These, if the mother be white or yellow, will be speckled ; if she be gray they will resemble her generally, but their tails will be longer.
Most of these mules are fruitful, and there is no great difficulty in getting the parents to pair ; but when the union is with species more remote, the difficulty increases in proportion.
Mules illies between a hen Canary and a Bullfinch.—Bechatein says that the eggs of this union seldom prove fruitful ; but Dr. Jassy of Frankfort obtained mules of a bullfinch and a canary, by making other canaries sit on the eggs and bring up the young, a plan pursued in Bohemia. - Besides the birds above enumerated, chaffinches, yellowhammers, &e. have been tried, but with no good success. Bechstein says that be never saw a male canary very fond of a female yellowhammer, nor a male of the latter kind of a female canary, though the plumage may be selected so as to offer a striking resemblance.
It will be observed that in all the five instances recorded the Canary is always the mother. The reason why breeders select the male of the other species when mules are desired is, because a female Riskin, goldfinch, &c. could not easily be induced, if at all, to lay her eggs in an artificial nest like a canary.
The hybrids between these various species are stated to be fruitful, and to have the power of continuing their mixed forms. The first eggs of these hybrids are said to be very small, and the young hatched from them very weak. The eggs of the next year are said to be larger, and the nestlings stronger and stouter.
In order to obtain bright and good plumage, those birds whose colours are clear and whose spots are clean and well defined should be placed together. A brownish-gray or greenish bird paired with one of a lively yellow often produces young of a dim white and of other admired colours. Two crested birds should never be joined, for their offspring are frequently hatched with part of the head bald, or other wise deformed in plumage.
Bechetein gives the following directions for forwarding the breeding of Canaries :—" The best time for pairing canaries is the middle of April. Either one male and one or two females are placed in a large cage, or many of both sexes are united in a room or aviary, having the advantage of a south aspect. Nests made of turned wood or osiers are given them, as straw ones are too easily torn. It is a good plan to place in the room or aviary slips of pine, which being cut in February do not lose their leaves. If a little ineloeure of wire-gauze can be fixed over the window, where the birds can enjoy the fresh air, nothing will more effectually contribute te. render the young healthy and robust. Birds which are to be paired for tbo first time should be previously placed in the same cage for seven or eight days, in order to become acquainted and accustomed to live together. If two females are to be caged with one male, it is especially necessary that they should be together long enough to leave off quarrelling, and the pairing-cago should be divided into two equal parts, communicating by a sliding door. This being done, a lively male and one of the females should be placed in the first division ; as soon as she has laid the male should be moved into the other division, the door of separation being shut ; but as soon as the other has also laid the door may be left open : the male will then visit the females alternately, and they will not trouble themselves about each other ; but without these precautions jealousy would incline them to fight and destroy each other's eggs. When it
is intended to place a great many females, double or treble the number of males, in a room or aviary, the latter should always be first paired with a single female, which will ever after remain the favourite ; and it will only be when she is about to sit that he will pair with the others ; and this is all the notice he will take of them, for afterwards he will only notice their young. It is from these mothers however that the most and the beat birds are generally procured. If the floor of the room or aviary is well covered with moss, little else need be added for making the nests, otherwise they should be supplied with the hair of cows and deer, hog's bristles, fine hay, lint, wool cut two or three inches long, paper-shavings, and the like. That which is coarsest serves for the outside, and the softest and finest for the inside. If they have shrubs, traces of the natural instinct of the canary are soon observed in the nests, which they construct without tho help of the turner or basket-weaver ; but they are of an inelegant form, and the outside is not very carefully finished. The females alone, as is usual among birds, are the builders, the males only choosing the situa tion and bringing the materials. It is in the nest, where the female is in continual motion, that the pairing takes place ; she invites tho male by constant little chirpings, repeated more quickly the nearer she is to laying. Seven or eight days are generally reckoned from the first pairing to the laying of the first egg ; the other eggs, whose number varies, without exceeding six, are laid successively every following day, and often at the same hour. The laying ended, pairing continues during the first clays of incubation. If the pairs agree they must bo left entirely to themselves, without endeavouring to use art to help nature, as many do. It is usual to take away the first egg and substi tute an ivory one, which is repeated with the others to the last, pro serving them in the meantime in a box filled with fine dry sand : they are afterwards restored all together to the neat to be hatched." Upon this practice there is a difference of opinion, as the plan above recommended causes the mother a greater loss of heat, and burdens her at once with five or six little ones, which coming together disturb rather than please her ; whereas in seeing them hatched successively one after the other her pleasure is increased, and her strength and courage are supported. " Very intelligent bird-fanciers," adds Buffon, " assuro us that by not removing the eggs from the female, and leaving them to be hatched in succession, they have always succeeded better than when they have substituted ivory eggs." The hen Canary will generally lay three or four times in the year, from April to September, and some will even continue to lay during their moult. The eggs are of a deli cate sea-green hue, spotted at one end more or less with violet or maroon colour. About the eighth day after the hen has begun to sit, the eggs may be examined by holding them between the flame of a candle and the eye. Those which are good will by that time exhibit well-developed blood-vessels, whereas the bad ones will continue clear or be already addled—these should be thrown away. It may be doubted however whether the better course be not to leave the hen quito undisturbed. The cock will sometimes take his turn for some hours in the day ; but the hen seldom approves of this : as soon as she has taken her hasty meal she flies back to the nest, and if the male, whose capabilities as a hatcher she seems strongly to qugstion, do not retire, she pecks him till he does. On the thirteenth day tho young generally make their appearance. While incubation is going on the place where the birds are confined should be kept quiet ; for it is asserted that sudden jarring noises, such as the violent slamming of a door or the discharge of a gun will kill the young in the shell. Wo have above seen that it is usual to give two females to one male ; and it is alleged that if one of the former should die during incubation, the survivor immediately takes charge of the eggs, to the care of which she so entirely devotes herself that she repels the caresses of her mate, whose solace she was while the deceased was sitting.