276 



CANARIES. HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



systematic inaliug of Crcstbrcds witli 

 such Crests. 



For, besides such direct " liits " and 

 crests of approved type, there will be some 



objectionable forms which it 

 Crist'*^ '" '"^ "°* desirable to perpetuate. 



We have already referred to 

 some of these on page 271. but it may I)e 

 well to illustrate some of the most objec- 

 tionable faults. Fig. 89 shows neat front 

 but defective arrangement in tiie rear, 

 where two ugly partings on either side of 

 the crest, usiuilly called " splits "" or 

 " gutters," destroy the uniformity of the 

 radiation — a not uncommon defect. Fig. 

 90 illustrates the " split " in front of crest, 

 in which the absence of any defined centre 

 afTects the character of the front very 

 materially ; it will be noticed, in fact, that 

 there is no centre. A split seems to be the 

 first attcmi^t at ladiation. and its presence 

 appears to indicate a reversion to some 

 form we certainly do not want ; morcovez', 

 this fault is extremely difficult to breed 

 out. The centre of some of our good crests 

 have an inclination this way, only in a 

 modified form, not interfering with the 

 l)ro])er arrangement of the frontal crest, 

 nevertheless the tendency is there, and 

 tliey are termed rumiing centres, and a 

 sharp eye needs be kept on them when 

 pairing such biids up. Fig. 91 also rej)re- 

 sents neat front, but broken or tucked in 

 at the sides -a defect sonu'times noticeable 

 in the original C'op])y. This fault is 

 described l)y most Crest-l)reedei's as weak 

 or short at sides. It will be ol)scr\'ed that 

 up to the ])rescnl these \arious fault \- 

 crests arc all good at back. l*'ig. 9"_' is not 

 sunicicntly filled in behind, and is also 

 badly cai'ried. l)eing too niucli lillcd up. 

 The largeness of the |)uckered or scarred- 

 like skin at the back of the head of a crested 

 hu'd spoken of eaiiier in this ciiaplcr. 

 caused by the formation of tiie skin in 

 radiating the feather round the head, has 

 much to (Id Willi lliis ga|) or rdiighncss at 

 tlu^ back of the head. 'I'o pair a bird with 

 a rough or tilled l)ack er-est to a (restbred 

 with rough I'calhers or horned a( sides of 

 back of head will fi:rlher inleMsilx- (he 



fault, while to pair such a faulty-backed 

 Crest to a Crestbred Inning jierfeetly 

 smooth feathers at the l)aek will reduce 

 the tendency, such pairing having the 

 tendency to reduce the size of the |)uekered 

 or searred-like patch on the back of the 

 head of the Crest, and the smaller this is 

 the smoother the crest will be. This 

 illustration also shows an open centre and 

 short frontal. Fig. 93 delineates neat 

 feathering, but bad shape, being too 

 7uirrow in front, and too squai'c behind, 

 with the objectionable corners described 

 in our list of forms to be avoided, and 

 termed by Crest-breeders " shield shape."' 

 There are some such crests with the ear- 

 like corners, and both types should be 

 erradicated or im])rove(l to the proper 

 shape by judicious pairing. Fig. 9-i re- 

 jiresents a crest of ]iroper formation and 

 shape sj)oiled by a dark patch at the back 

 of the neck, in which the crest feathers merge 

 and lose their outline. A clear body is not 

 in any respect improved by such a mark. 

 This illustration shows the centre well 

 ])laced and of the right shape, being per- 

 fectly round, but too open ; another 

 defect which tells against an otherwise 

 good bird, ami a l)ird of equal uu lit with 

 a centre similar to that shown in I'ig. 91 

 will always get in front owing to its ht'tter 

 (illed centre showing no open space yet 

 of the perfectly round, (ksired sha|>e. A 

 further detraclion of \alne in l-'ig. 9f is 

 the smallness of I he eresl. imne nf these 

 illustrations in any way represent the size 

 of our modei'u crest ; but are given as an 

 object lesson of the faults to be a\'oi(lcd and 

 got rid of as (juiekly as jjossiljle l)y jmlicious 

 |)airing. The more |)erfect specimens are 

 purl ia\ I'd on Ihe Ciilnnred I'late and other 

 illnstral ions. 



It is sometimes said that Ihe pniduee of 



two Ci'esIs will he miii'e oi- less bald on Ihe 



|)a le. sciniel iuies e\'en to 



Pairing edinplele niidilv. \Ve never 



two Crests. 



fiiund such a I hiiiL; ha ppeii. nor 



have we evei' sei-n such a speeirnen or any 

 person who could \oiieli for such a thing 

 having occurred. W'e have i)ri(l I'laiii- 

 heads often enouijh IVnni two Crests — a 



