A CANAK"^ MEASURE. 



Of Kit' in cniiiicction iL-ith vatifties fay n'liiih a standanl length is adopted. 



CHAPTER XVII 



THE NORWICH CANARY 



We now turn from these details of jjencral 

 management to a description of the different 

 varieties of the Canary, and the classes into 

 which they are divided, with specific 

 instructions as to the mctliod of breeding 

 them, and sucii further remarivs on manage- 

 ment as may be special in their application. 

 We propose to arrange them in three 

 sections, each based on some distinguishing 

 feature. Tliis, we think, is the most natural 

 course to follow, and we accordingly divide 

 them into («) Colour Birds ; (/;) Distinctive 

 Plumage Birds ; (c) Shape and Position 

 Birds. At the head of the colour group 

 stands the Norwich Canary, perha])s the 

 most general favourite of the entire tribe, 

 and certainly one of the most extensively 

 bred, being the embodiment of the popular 

 idea of the bird, and the fountain from 

 whence spring three-fourths of the drawing- 

 room cage-birds in the country. It is easily 

 recognised as a brilliantly - illuminated 

 edition of the evcry-day Yellow Canary. 

 It took its name from the city in which it 

 has for generations been cultivated, and 

 where it doubtless built up for itself a 

 character so decided as to cause it in early 

 times to be recognised as possessing feat- 

 ures sufficiently distinctive to identify it 

 with the name of the place in whicii it 



had become localised, and to distinguish 

 it from other varieties already established. 

 Hervieux speaks of the clear orange- 

 yellow Canary as far back as 1713, and, as 

 will be seen by this early description, 

 colour was the first and leading character- 

 istic of the bird, and continued to be so 

 for many generations ; but to-day, whilst 

 colour is still looked for and is essential 

 in a good bird, we must have type and 

 other points as well. 



The relative importance of points has 

 been entirely reversed by new standards 

 drawn up by the specialist 

 clubs representing the breed, 

 and the order of merit as it 

 now stands may be cited as : 

 second, quality of feather and 

 general proj)erties ; and tJnrd. colour. We 

 shall deal further with these points when 

 describing the present-day standard of the 

 bird. 



It is more than probable that the culti- 

 vation of this bird as a speciality began in 

 the latter quarter of the six- 

 teenth century, when the 

 Flemish, driven from their 

 country by the {x^rsecutions of the Spanish 

 under the Duke of Alva, took refuge in our 

 " right little, tight little island," indirectly 



Order of 

 Nor^vicb 

 Points. 



first, type 



History of 

 the Breed. 



2o6 



