THE CRESTED CANARY 



279 



prefer the former, as yielding a better 



quality of feather, but if size of body is 



wanted as well as crest, then use the 



Buff, and if it be a hen it will probably 



show less coarseness, remembering to 



observe the law of pairing Yellow and 



Buff as far as possible, as the surplusage of 



feather will continiially require toning down. 



If you use a Lancashire Plainhead you 



would naturally pair it with the best 



Crest you have, or if using 



7"^® a Lancashire Coppy, pair it 



Lancashire . , ^, , , , , , 



(-^Qgg with a Lrestbred, althoiigli 



we have had good results 

 from pairing a Coppy to a good Crest. 

 Reiuember that Crestbreds are the Plain- 

 head offspring from Crested nests — by 

 which Me do not mean the issue of double 

 Crests, but of birds paired for crest-breeding 

 in the ordinary way, which always throw a 

 fair average of Plainheads as well as 

 Crests. Such birds contain a latent ten- 

 dency towards crest, which is further 

 shown in some by the feathering on top of 

 head and overhanging eyebrows, giving 

 the bird a rather sulky expression altogether, 

 different from that of the highly bred 

 Norwich Plainhead. Wiatever be their 

 parentage, it will be advisable to select 

 birds of some size and with broad skulls, 

 and, having these properties, to get com- 

 bined with them the highest type of 

 Norwich properties, as shown in colour 

 and quality of feather. We already have 

 size on the Lancashire side, but we do not 

 wish to perpetuate it in that form, and 

 therefore select our Crests with size and 

 the distinctive shape of the Norwich, in 

 the hope that these features may play 

 their part in moulding the offspring to 

 the Norwich persuasion, and so leave us 

 less to tone down in after generations of 

 our crosses. 



Another important matter remains for 

 consideration. We said that the Coppy 

 is clear in colour, or practically so, and 

 as such we must here treat it. This will 

 not satisfy the breeder, who wants the 

 contrast of clear body and dark green 

 crest, or clear body with dark wings and 

 crest, in quest of which typical forms of 



ideal beauty he creates variegation ad 

 infinitum, for every shade of which there 

 is a place on the show-bench if only good 

 crest accompany it. When once the green 

 is brought into play, a very intractable 

 element is infused, requiring all the skill 

 of the thoughtful breeder to control it, 

 despite which it will occasionally break 

 away just when it is wanted to stand still. 

 So if the breeder does not care to embark 

 on the troubled waters of variegation, 

 there is open to him the breeding of entirely 

 clear-crested birds of Norwich type, which 

 at this day have but few representatives, 

 and to whose charm we ha^'e already 

 alluded. To breed Clear Crests and Crest- 

 breds is comparatively easN^ All that is 

 necessary is to pair clear birds together, 

 occasionally pairing a Grey Crest with a 

 Clear Crestbred, or a Ticked Crestbred 

 with the Clear Crests, with a view of main- 

 taining brilliancy of colour, pairing the 

 offspring of these back to clears. 



Reverting to the thread of our subject, 

 we remark that any amount of variegation 

 can be introduced into Crested stock by 

 pairing a Clear and a Variegated bird 

 together, yet we have frequently been 

 asked : " How can we breed Dark Crests ? " 

 We reply that if one of the parents be 

 Variegated there will be a full average of 

 Dark Crests in every nest, on which fact 

 we base our final general rule, that if our 

 Coppy be a Buff cock, he must be paired 

 with Variegated— or, as they are known 

 in the Fancy, broken Cireen Crestbred 

 hens, or he may be paired to Self-green, 

 Yellow or Buff hens. In either case, if a 

 Buff is used a good plan is to have one 

 that has been bred from Yellow and Buff. 

 If he be a Yellow cock the hens must be 

 similar in character, but Buff ; and if we 

 elect to breed with a Coppy hen our Crest- 

 bred cock must be a Variegated Yellow or 

 Buff, as the case may demand. There need 

 be no apprehension as to the chances of 

 procuring Dark Crests, for every bird, if 

 it be in the slightest degree marked and 

 have a crest, will have a dark crest, than 

 which there is nothing easier to breed, as 

 regards colour. 



