THE NORWICH CANARY 



217 



so nearly }>erfect, then an injustice was 

 done to the variegated birds to whom such 

 approach to perfection of marking is of no 

 vahie whatever. Since those days all things 

 have changed, some for the better, and 

 some not. To-day we have not the careful, 

 observant breeders we had thirty years 

 ago. Breeders then studied ; they studied 

 type, studied quality, and studied colour 

 and markings as well. It was common in 

 the 'eighties to have a class of twenty or 

 more Evenly-marked Norwichs at a good 

 show. Not so to-day. In the " rage " to 

 " win," these ideals of Canary cidture have 

 been thrown to the wind ; no thought or 

 consideration is given them by the multi- 

 tude of jjresent-day breeders ; with the 

 result that now we never see a class of 

 Evenly-marked Norwichs, and casual speci- 

 mens of this handsome ideal of a Marked 

 Canary are usually consigned to the " Any 

 CHher Variety Class." 



It may be convenieni, as we said, to 

 adopt such a system of grouping, and, 

 considering the comprehensive character of 

 the class, to give and take a little on both 

 sides ; but in investigating the jwinciples 

 of correct classification we must have 

 something more definite than convenience 

 to guide us. The lack of this may have 

 had something to do with causing the 

 decline in breeding evenly-marked birds, 

 which, given proper classification, might in 

 a few years be brought to the front again. 

 A very detailed classification may not be 

 I^ossible at once with the present multitude 

 of shows ; but if it could be gradually 

 improved, and breeders encouraged to pro- 

 duce the various colours and markings, and 

 thus bring out more attractive birds, a 

 greater interest would be created in our 

 exhibitions. With this object in view we 

 will explain the true principle of classifi- 

 cation, so that it may be extended or con- 

 tracted in the right direction. 



With respect to the unevenly-marked 

 birds, our contention is, that inasmuch as 

 the breeder has aimed at getting " marks " 

 at all hazards — with colour, if possible, but 

 without it rather than lose the marking — 

 it naturally follows that it is not in this 

 28 



section that we must look for the richest 

 colour ; and it is, therefore, hard for these 



birds to be called upon to 

 True Classic ^^^^.yt^^^ ^^r^i^^ ^^ey have 

 licaiion. •' 



gained at great trouble, and 



be measured by a property which their op- 

 ponents, the variegated birds, have been 

 bred for alone and possess in excess. The 

 simplest way would be to give these un- 

 evenly marked birds a place by themselves, 

 or in the event of such an extension being 

 considered impracticable, to group them 

 with the evenly-marked birds in one 

 section under the comprehensive name 

 " Marked." They would then at least 

 have the opportunity of competing on the 

 merits of their distinctive featiu'e. There 

 natiu'ally arises the question : " Would you 

 then, give a prize to an i/«-evenly-inarked 

 bird over an fue« /^-marked one ? " It would 

 depend entirely on the quality of the mark- 

 ing. There is a description of marking, to 

 which we shall presently allude, M'hich is 

 next to worthless. We will assume we have 

 before us a class of " Marked " birds, which 

 will, therefore, contain Marked birds only, 

 but marked in every degree of evenness 

 and exactness, as well as all degrees of 

 unevenness. The best marked woidd then 

 win : and we put the case of an imevenly- 

 marked specimen being found among 

 them to inquire into his chances. Given 

 a bird with exact wings and one beautifully 

 pencilled eye, and another with two respect- 

 able wings, one good eye, and, on the other 

 side of the head, a mere blotch, which 

 happens to include the eye ; given, also, 

 that the first is equally good in type and 

 superior in colour and quality, in our 

 opinion it is the better bird, and should 

 win. In all shows the percentage of really 

 exquisitely marked birds would, at any 

 rate for some time, be small, and among the 

 so-called eivenh' marked ones are always to 

 be found manj^ which it requires a great 

 exercise of charity to recognise as such. 

 They may just come within the pale of the 

 law, and, being there, claim the rights and 

 privileges of citizens of the district. But 

 they are worthless members of society : 

 even the very qualities upon which they 



