CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



with strongly-marked and fixed character- 

 istics. Tliesc are tiie Xorwicii, the Cinna- 

 mon, tiie London Fancy , the Lizard, the 

 Belgian, the Scotch tancy, tlie Vorksliire, 

 the Crested, the Green, tlie Lancashire, 

 the Border Fancy, the Dutch Frill, and 

 the CJerinan : and each ol' these varieiics 

 is sub(li\i(lcd into many classes. It is 

 a desire to produce each in its kind in 

 perfection that has led to the present 

 extensive system of scicntihc breeding. 

 It is marvellous what improvement has 

 been made during the past fifteen or twenty 

 years, and although some few individuals 

 differ regarding this progress, these are 

 days in which inchviduals cannot raise 

 stanchirds of their own. The various 

 specialist clubs have by thoiiglit and care 

 worked out stanchirds of the variety they 

 re])resent, and it is right that tliey should 

 supersede all individual o])inions. Our 

 object is to assist to the attainment of 

 the ideals thus set out by an intelligent 

 enunciation of simple principles, and de- 

 tailed account of actual practice. 



Linked on the one side to the Canary- 

 breeder's hobby, and on the other to tliat 

 of the British bird keeper is 

 the fascinating pastime of breed- 

 ing hybrids between the Canary and many 

 of our most attractive wild birds, such as 

 the Goldlinch. l?idHincii, Linnet, Siskin, 

 Twite, Cireenfinch, and Hed|)oll, and in 

 turn between these latter birds themselves. 

 No branch of avicvdture ])robably requires 

 so much patience as does thnt of hybrid- 

 breeding, and yet its followers arc I'apidly 

 increasing; disappointment a|)pcars but an 

 incentive to fresh efforts t(j attain some dilli- 

 cnlt cross, and the reward is often a bird of 

 rare beauty, embodying in marked (l(>grees 

 the charms of its widely dilTcring ])arents. 



Since such nudes, as these crosses are 

 often erroneously called (hybrids being the 

 correct term), are sterile, the objection has 

 been raised as to the uselessness of raising 

 stock that cannot ]icrpetuate their race : 

 but to the hybridbreedcr this matters 

 little, for his delight is in overcoming the 

 dilliculties of their production, and. once 

 secured, hybrids arc hardy and long-li\t(l. 



Hybrids. 



as well as. in the case of the rarer crosses, 



most valuable as show birds. In due course 



in these pages we shall, therefore, deal with 



this section of the fancy, and strive to 



remove some of the many obstacles which 



beset the ]Dath of the breeder of hybrids. 



No section of a bird-show is so interesting 



to the general public as that which contains 



examples of many of our native 



^y'*'*'' birds, staged to perfection in 

 Birds. '^ ' 



health, plumage, and steadiness, 

 and thus affording to the onlooker a closer 

 study of their charms than is possible with 

 the same birds in their wild state. Such 

 an exhibition is the best reply to those who 

 hold it wrong to cage a wild bird at all. 

 Thev do not take into account the pleasure 

 and the hunumising elTect of the study of 

 birds imder the only ]iossible conditions 

 open to workers in big cities, and also fail 

 to realise the care and affection lavished on 

 their birds by the thousands of enthusiastic 

 keepers of British birds in these islands. 

 Such fanciers yield to none in their detesta- 

 tion of cruelty to birds, whether in in- 

 sanitary bird-sho])s, or at the hands of 

 unskilled, careless bird-catchers, and ask 

 only to be judged by the results they achieve 

 in successfully keei)ing some of the most 

 delicate of our insect i\orous birds in full 

 health and vigour, both in cages and the 

 larger liberty of well planned aviaries. 

 British birds that some years since were 

 considered almost im])racticable as cage- 

 birds are now frccpiently met witii at ex- 

 hibitions, and whilst adding to the delight 

 anil instruction of show-goers, also illustrate 

 the remarkable advance made in the science 

 of bird-kee])ing. and especially in the direc- 

 tion of ]ir<)\i(ling the birds with the natural 

 foods of their wild state. 



As with the dilTcrent varieties of the 

 Canary and the many interesting hybrids 

 already alluded to, so we shall hn|)c in later 

 chapters to deal with the various British 

 birds judged suitable for conlinement. and 

 to furnish such hints as may help to a more 

 intelligent ap])reciation of their needs and 

 of the many apparent trifles which make 

 up the (lilTerencc between success and its 

 reverse in their luanagenient. 



