THE CANARY'S PLUMAGE AND MOULTING 



145 



growth. And as we are 'S'crging some- 

 what oil the domain of leathers, we may 

 say parenthetieally, that the colour of any 

 bird in its nest-plumage is not always 

 a guarantee of its future excellcnee, any 

 more than the absence of colour indi- 

 cates a permanent want. No fancier who 

 knows what moulting means ever thinks 

 of disposing of young 

 imnumlted stock, lest 

 he might unawares 

 dispose of a gem in 

 the rough. We dis- 

 card the colour test, 

 then, as being unsatis- 

 factory in regard to a. 

 young bird's sex at 

 this stage of its life. 

 Though, after it has 

 left the nest, and 

 before it has moulted, 

 an ex]ierienced eye 

 can tell the sex of 

 three out of every 

 four birds with toler- 

 able certainty. When 

 they are in the nest, 

 just us they commence 

 to feather, the heads 

 of the cock bii'ds 

 appear much bolder, 

 and tlic colour of 

 the feathers just break- 

 ing from the sheaths 

 is nuich richer than 

 that of the hens in 

 the same nest ; but as the birds matiu-c and 

 become fully feathered, these distinguishing 

 marks are less discernible. Hence, we dis- 

 card colour at this stage, and prefer shape, 

 style, carriage, action, and voice as more 

 relialjle data to work on. 



The cock is, as a rule, larger and more 

 massive than the hen, is bolder and more 

 energetic in his movements, 

 and, in the flight, bustles 

 about in a commanding 

 sort of way, as if anxious 

 to impress the looker-on with the idea 

 that he is a superior being. Put him 

 in a cage alone for a few minutes, and his 

 19 



carriage is bold and defiant, his chirp clear 

 and ringing, his action quick and decisive 

 and full of fire. The hen is, on the con- 

 trary, smaller and more delicately built — 

 there are exceptions, but we are speaking 

 of the ride — and has a neater head. By 

 " neater " we mean that she is not, as a 

 rule, so massive in head (this refers to 



Size and 

 Carriage 

 Distinctions. 



WHICH SHALL IT BE ? 



My. K. B. Falconer, a veteran Scotch Fancy Breeder, studying two favourites. 



plainhead varieties), and has a softer and 

 quieter eye ; there is none of that glisten- 

 ing defiance of the cock about it. The hen 

 is less demonstrative in her movements, 

 and when put into a cage alone, hops back- 

 wards and forwards in a quiet way 

 with a soft, plaintive chirp. The cock in 

 similar circumstances seems to ])ull him- 

 self tt)gether, buttons up his coat as it 

 were to show fight, and with a ringing 

 voice calls out again and again, as much 

 as to say, " I'm here." Perhaps the 

 boldest of our hens is the Yorkshire, 

 owing to this variety being of such a 

 swaggering character : though even the 



