THE CINNAMON CANARY 



'■3D 



discoveries have been made by accident or 

 while in quest of something other than the 

 thing found, and it ma}' be tliat it was when 

 in search of variegation the new vein of 

 colour was struck. In describing it we 

 say, first, that in size and shape it is almost 

 the counterpart of the Canary with which 

 it has been so systematically allied, though 

 there is more than the average disparity 

 between the size of the Buff and Yellow 

 birds, the former being, as a rule, much 

 the larger, and carrying their size without 

 the corresponding increase in coarseness of 

 feather which would be looked for in any 

 other fine-feather variety. This does not 

 infer that there are no coarse feathered 

 birds. 



The colour of a highly-improved specimen 

 is in the Jonque (Yellow) a brilliant 



chocolate, the deepest shade 

 Bil-d^^""'^ being found on the top of 



the head. There is some very 

 pretty pencilling on the cheeks, and the 

 back, like that of a Green Canary, has 

 always more or less of a striped appearance, 

 owing to the saddle-feathers being much 

 darker near the midrib than on the margin. 

 Excess of this marking is considered a defect, 

 and the uniform distribution of the choco- 

 late, forming what is known as a " level " 

 back, is one of the strong points of a show- 

 bird. Therefore, the lighter the pencilling 

 the more level the cinnamon colour, though 

 it is exti-emely dillicult to get the brilliant 

 colour without the pencilling. The throat 

 and breast should show none of this, as 

 anyone who has paid attention to the 

 character of the breast-feather of most 

 Self-coloured Canaries will understand. It 

 is here, perhaps, that the purest and 

 brightest shade of colour is to be found, 

 the whole surface of the breast being 

 imsullied by a single streak, and being free 

 from the comparative dullness caused by 

 the darker midribs of the saddle. Here, 

 too, the rich Norwich blood seems pent up, 

 inducing a ruddy glow startling in its 

 warmth when compared with the cjuict, 

 old-fashioned vest of years ago. The 

 ambition of the careful breeder is to get 

 this warmth of breast colour as even as 



possible right u}) to the base of the under 

 mandible. 



^^'here the breast feathers merge with 

 those of the side, it is not unusual to find 

 in the very best specimens indications of 

 stripes more or less decided in their pencil- 

 ling ; and where this is the case it is 

 invariably connected with rich warm colour- 

 ing throughout the region of the waist. 

 When they are not present, their absence 

 is a tolerably reliable indication of the 

 desire of the Norwich blood to break 

 bounds and tinge the waist with a lighter 

 but very brilliant colour, which, though 

 not always discernible, is but one remove 

 from yellow proper, and is as prejudicial to 

 the winning chances of a Cinnamon as a 

 yellow waist is to a Green Yorkshire. A 

 Cinnamon, in fact, however rich in Norwich 

 blood, must be true in colour, whatever 

 the depth of shade. It must also be bright 

 and glossy : mere depth of colour counts 

 but little in the show-room if it be dull and 

 unj)olished, requiring burnishing to bring 

 out its true quality, and a good judge will 

 allow a balance of points in favour of 

 shining silk as against a rusty, coffee- 

 coloured suit. The feathers of the wings 

 and tail are paler on the broader web than 

 the rest of the bird, but the outer margin 

 ii full of colour, and on its development 

 and a good carriage depend much of the 

 effect to be derived from equal distribution. 

 The underflue is dark ; beak clear, and 

 legs and feet usually so, but sometimes 

 inclined to be dark. The thighs, we have 

 omitted to mention, shoidd be well clothed, 

 and the colour of the livery well main- 

 tained. All that has been said of the 

 Norwich Canary with regard to texture 

 and compactness of feather attaches to 

 the Cinnamon with equal force as a 

 necessary condition for an effective display 

 of colour. 



The BidT bird differs from the Yellow 

 with respect to colour more directly than 



does the corresponding forin 

 Bil-d.^"" in the Norwich. In the highest 



types of the latter the body- 

 colour of the Buff is, where most exposed, 

 and even under the gossamer frosting. 



