282 



CANARIES. HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



he a \('ry small tiii/./.lc tick on (iiie wini;', 

 tlif rest of the bod_y clear : (//) l)ark Crests 

 also t'iear-liodied ; (r) \'ariei^a1c(l Dai'k- 

 crested. with jierhaps (d) a L;()od l'!\-eiily- 

 iiiarked Dark t'rcst ainoiii; lliciii. and 

 ficnerally (c) a lew Crcslhicds, Clear or 

 otherwise- not all in one nest eei'tainly. 

 but the hii'ds \\i- luive described will con- 

 stitute the averaoe results of such a. mode 

 of paii'iny. Much the same results would 

 follow the pairing of an Evenly-marked 

 Crested and a Clear Crestbred. though there 

 might not be so many drey Crest^> the 

 darker form being likely to rej)eat itself. 

 In l)otii. however, we should expect to find 

 a full a\'crage of rcsiicctahle xvings, the 

 ))oint we wish to secure. Tliei'c also might, 

 and ])r()bal)l\ would be. if the original mark- 

 ing were light, consisting of. say, not more 

 than about four dark feathers in each wing, 

 one or two birds marked only on one wing 

 ■ — a usefid form, but given to be rather 

 obstinate. Analysing these nests, we 

 should take care of all the Grey Crests 

 worthv of the name : they are six-eial 

 favonrites of ours and are useful in many 

 ways ; moreover, among any number of 

 crests of all kinds, there will be found a 

 higher average f)f (piality among the (ireys 

 than among tlie darker ones, though the 

 l)aler colour may not show olT the shape 

 to such advantage. These (Jrcys wc should 

 pair with the marked Crcstbrcds. sailing 

 as close to the wind as possible in the 

 matter of selecting the nearest approach 

 to even and e.xact marking, oiu' object being 

 to ]Hit in crest without olTering any teini)ta- 

 tion to run In irregular variegation, pci'- 

 ])ctnating the desired points as we explained 

 in the chapter on Kven-marked breeding. 

 Suitable males would probably be found 

 among (he Creslcd-bi'cd young ones, in 

 which case we should prefer ])airing the 

 olTspring of various hens i)y the same 

 cock to bringing in any fresh blood at 

 this early stage ; and if the sexes have ])ceii 

 reversed in one or two of the original pairs 

 — viz. by pairing a wing-marked Crest- 

 bred cock with a Circy-crested hen there' 

 will be material snllicient for any com- 

 bination. The Clear-bodied Dark-crested 



we shoidd pair with Clear Crcstbrcds to 

 I'eproduee the same class of bird, or with 

 wing-marked birds to ])rocnre that form, 

 or Clear-bodied Crcstbrcds with partial or 

 Avhole Dark caps. The Variegated Crested 

 and Evenly-marked Crested can be jiaired 

 with Clear Crcstbrcds in a similar manner : 

 but we have such a wholesome dread 

 of variegation breaking loose that wc should 

 not venture to couple two wing-marked 

 birds indess the markings had been per- 

 ])etuated for two or three generations, and 

 were of the lightest possible deseri|)tion 

 and the body perfectly clear, showing little 

 dai'k underline. This dark undcrlluc is a 

 capital guide. Wherever it is fonntl lurking, 

 it oidy waits the first opportunity to come 

 to the surface. The one-wing marked birds 

 may })c ]5aired Muth comparative safety, 

 and, in the case of reverse wings, with 

 advantage. 



Some breeders are most jiartienlar to 

 pair alternately — that is. jiair a Crested 

 cock bred from a Crestbred cock and 

 Crested hen to a Crestbred hen bred from 

 Crested cock and Crestbred hen, or vice 

 \'ersa. The ])lau is certainly worth can ying 

 out as far as |)ossil)lc ; but never allow 

 alternate |:airing to interfere with the first 

 essential of correct mating — viz. ])uttin<j 

 birds together which arc suitable for each 

 other. 



The name of .Mr. F. \V. Harnett, of 

 Eakenliani, N'orl'olk. is familiar to Crest- 

 breeders the world o\('i'. and wc are indeed 

 indebted lo .Mr. Hai'nclt for allowing us 



to be the fir: 

 cxpci'icnce : 



to jinhlish his complete 



" II is now sdiiir lliirly yrars," says Mr. 

 liariK'll. "since I slarlcd In inijirovc my stocVc 



(iT ('.rcslcd Xorwicli i)y inlro- 

 Mr. Barnett's diiiinu llu' Lancashire Co])py, 

 Experiences. also a tew eross-lired l.anea- 



shiro and Xorwicli. A I llial 

 lime my crcsls were all a liltle open ;il I he 

 baek, ralhcr s(]iiare. and some were I1:il 

 owing to having a broad skull, ami nol liein.u 

 snllieicntly long in tealhei- lo .ui\c llie diooji 

 we sec now on some show C.i'esls. Ihil 

 I hey liad deep eliesls and broad, well-lilled 

 baeks. To obtain tlie above eross-breds \ 

 went to a Xoi-\vieh deiilei' (I lielie\e lie is slill 



