230 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



duiil)lc biifling generation after ocneration 

 is ruinous both to colour and quality ol' 

 feather. 



In tlic end. however, all things came 

 right, aiul we now have a noble bird, 

 and j)lcnty ot material for 

 Type of ^1,^, breeding-room. If there 



Crest=bred t { e ,-1 ■ 1 1 i 



for Crossing. ^^'^'^ «">• ''^^k of this we should 



not hesitate even now to use a 

 Crest-bred cock to make stock or building 

 material, provided we could get hold of 

 the right type of bird. Such a Crest-bred 

 should have a large broad head, a bxdky 

 body, with feather as tight as possible, 

 that is, too sparse for crest-breeding. We 

 should also endeav^our to get one with 

 short tail and wings, and as near as 

 possible to Norwich type, and a Yellow 

 for preference, though we should not 

 hesitate to use a Buff of the same des- 

 cription. Such a bird we should pair to 

 one of the tightest and richest op[)osite- 

 coloured, short, chid:)by-buiit l)irds Me 

 could select. The young from these 

 we shoidd pair back to pure Norwichs, 

 and also the following season, when, 

 having gained the desired size, we 

 could by selection refine the stock and 

 develop standard ]iro)ierties. We have 

 .seen many birds exhibited as Norwich 

 Avhich cairied more feather than the type 

 of Crcst-bicd we lia\c described as suitable 

 for crossing ; but just now liicre is no need 

 to use this cross, as there are |)lenty of 

 large stock Norwiclis available, tiic chief 

 faults of wliicli arc a. iillic conrscncss in 

 head, and excessive lengtii in body, wing. 

 and tail. JJirds of this class should he 

 mated to others of chubby, neat, good all- 

 round ])ropcrties. \Vc have also an ample 

 supi)ly of large, rich-coloured Norwich type 

 (Jreen and Green Marked hiicK. fi'om which 

 to draw for colour as necessity demands. 

 without having to resort to the J.i/.ard. 



The first nests from a CJrccn and a Clear 



Norwich will be. for tlic most |i,irl. more 



or less I'ied, showing in a 



^^.?^^l^^ marked wav a combination 



with Greens. 



of tlic disi inct i\c fcatui'cs 

 of each variety ; but by judicious mating 

 of these Pied birds with others from Clear 



strains — selecting for the ])urpose those 

 most lightly variegated — the dark mark- 

 ings will soon vanish, and Clear birds of 

 good feather and rich colour appear. 



Its departure will be characterised, as the 

 Clear blood sets stronger hold, bv slight 

 markings of grizzly appearance on the 

 feathers, the whole having a faint, un- 

 decided character about it suggestive of 

 its inability to stand before the continued 

 infusion of Clear blood. The use of the 

 Green is not so much in vogue in some 

 breeding centres as in others, but its intro- 

 duction cannot be dispensed with for long 

 in any methodical breeder's room, though it 

 should be kept under proper control, so 

 that a good number of Clears are always 

 produced in the progeny. 



While enunciating the theory of the inti- 

 mate connection between the Clear Yellow 



and the Self-coloured Green, we do 

 Mating j^y^ mean to say that verv pleasing 

 Clears. • 1 4. • 1 c 



results may not lie ol)tauie(l Irom 



mating Clear pairs, especially siu'h as are 

 nearly allied to the Cireens, but in such 

 pairing nuich " sporting " jiower is left on 

 both sides, and whilst some very beautiful 

 Clears are bred in this way, many darks 

 often verging on Self-Greens are also ])ro- 

 duced, both j^arents being Clear. The 

 breeder has more control over this (Jreen 

 tendency where he pairs Clears of this sort 

 to othci's tha,t have been CIcar-brcd for a 

 sencration oi' two. 



Qui- theory is that the natural high 

 orniige colour is but (Hic I'orui nf the luirmal 

 green ))lumagc arrested at a certain stage 

 of its decadence, when at its greatest 

 beauty, and the art of niaiutaiuing it at 

 this |)oiut consists in a careful selection 

 and pairing of birds showing the least 

 Icudcncy towards retrogression, and in 

 checking aii\' decline of colour, when it 

 sets in uumislakahly, by use of (Jrecn 

 blood as indica.led. 



I'ix|)cricucc of the hiccding-room and 

 kuowkdgc of the stock must be our guide 

 in pairing, and whether it be Clear with 

 Clear, or ('lca.r willi \'ariegated. there 

 should be a reason for each mating, ami 

 this .should be coupled to an accurate 



