26 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AiND BRITISH BIRDS 



the inljrcd pair, instead of lying close to the 

 body, grew the wrong way about. They turned 

 up over the back just like those on a Frizzle fowl, 

 which convincetl me that yoii can go too far in 

 that direction." 



In classes 10 to 20 tlic oriyinal cinna- 

 mon (lisjilays similar variations to those 

 in previous classes. Class '21 is specially 

 interesting to us, as the only white Canary* 

 ever seen by British fanciers was exhibited, 

 gaining 1st prize, at the Crystal Palace 

 shows of 190!t and 1910, and is undoubtedly 

 of cinnamon descent, (Sec page .33,) In 22 

 to 26 we have the start of our present-day 

 variegated varieties. Class 27 is interest- 

 ing, as indicating what I call a cinnamon- 

 green variegation, for these birds, the 

 produce of a cinnamon cock with a dark- 

 eyed hen, are all males, and undoubtedly 

 show more pinkness of the eye than other 

 green-variegated birds. They also fre- 

 quently show a tendency to the dark 

 green, almost black, I>ondon Fancy mark- 

 ings. 



In class 28 we have the start of the London 

 Fancy — now almost extinct — and its occur- 

 rence immediately after class 27 may be 

 of some assistance in re-establishing this 

 beautiful variety. 



In class 29 we have the appearance, of 

 which I have had experience, of a rich 

 orange-yellow bird. The special (piality 

 of rich colour which characterises the 

 Norwich Canary has ])robably its origin 

 here. 



Class 30, mentioned by Buffon as being 

 in Hervieux's list, whether there or not, 

 at all events shows that crest was known 

 about 17.")(), 



In our ciimaTtion muling experiments we 

 have shown that position is correlated 

 with ciiinaiiioii sporting and frills. In this 

 maimer our birds of |)osition — Lancashire, 

 Yorkshire, Dutch Frill, Belgian, etc, — 

 have arisen. 



We have thus been able to trace the 

 origin of all our present-day varieties, 

 the subsequent perfecting of the different 

 classes being due to the (careful selection 

 and skilfid breeding of many generations 

 " Sec "Canary Breeding" for coloured ligui-e. 



of fanciers. It only remains for some 

 enterprising breeder to follow out the 

 experiments farther and introduce some 

 new varieties, c.<^.. Fantail, Trum])eter, 

 Black, Tiunbler,* Silkie. and many others. 



In the English (1718) translation of 

 Hervievi.x the term " ditvct " is taken to 

 mean "rough-footed," and ''Panache" and 

 " liace dc Panachez " are both translated 

 " copplc-crowned.'" The one interpreta- 

 tion is as nonsensical as the other, and 

 quite as bad as that of the writer already 

 mentioned who describes " Isabelle " as 

 pink. But the reference to copple- 

 crowns is interesting, as probably indicat- 

 ing the existence of a crested Canary in 

 P'ngland before 1718, One feels, however, 

 that in the case of this translator one has 

 to deal with a poultry or pigeon, and not 

 a Canary fancier, 



I may mention that Temminck, in his 

 Histoire Naturelle Generale des GalUnaces, 

 describes the Silk Fowl under the name 

 of the Coq a Duvet, and gives it the scien- 

 tific title of Gallus LanaUis (Tegetmeier's 

 "Poultry Book," 1867). 



Also, in support of my interpretation of 

 " Panache,'' let me quote the following : — 



" Description des Coidcurs d'lin Canari 

 Panache, observe avec M. de Montbeil- 

 lurd.''f: '"The shades and arrangement of 

 the colours of the variegated Canaries 

 differ exceedingly ; some are black on the 

 head, others not ; some are spotted irre- 

 gularly, and others with great regularity. 

 The differences of cdlour are commonly 

 perceived only on the upper jiart of the 

 bird ; they consist of two large black 

 spots on each wing, the one l)cri)rc and 

 the other behind, in a large crescent of 

 the same colour placed on the back, ]K)int- 

 ing its concavity towards the head, and 

 joining by its horns to the two anterior black 

 sj)ots of the wings. Lastly, the tail is sur- 

 rounded behind by a half-collar of grey, 

 which seems to be a compound colour 

 resulting from the intimate mixture of 

 black and yellow," 



* Since wrilinfj tliis I )mve discovered a TnuibltT 

 Linnel, as already ini-ntioncil. 

 tBuflbn's "Nat. llist. of Birds." London, 17'J3. 



