THE CRESTED CANARY 



269 



with coarse feather is quite as objection- Plainhead. That good work has been 



able as fine feather and poor crest. What done in improving both size and quality 



is required is a blending of the two in a of crest we have proof on every hand ; 



bird which can still bear the time-honoured for owing to the increased length of head 



A LARGE CREST WITH GOOD FEATHER, SPREAD. AND DROOP. 



name and a resemblance of the famil\- 

 features. 



How far this is capable of accomplish- 

 ment is still a problem, but from careful 

 observation of crests of 

 ^ v""**- Norwich type we see that 

 Typg the modern bird does, and 



necessarily must, if it is 

 to retain its magnificent crest, lose many 

 of the characteristics of the Norwich 



fcatlier, a crest with a large bare patch 

 visible on the back of the head is as rare 

 to-day as it was plentiful thirty years ago. 

 True, many birds bear a strong resemblance 

 to the Coppy in shape of body, owing to 

 the constant use of this cross, but we 

 already have, in addition to an approxi- 

 mation to Norwich carriage in contrast to 

 the erect attitude of the Coppy, dark crests 

 and variegated plumage, both foreign to 



