288 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



skull, lli:m wilh :i bird of iHTlVclly shaped licnil 

 hill line in R'alluT. 



" I am a linn lH'lii'\cr in a pU iilil'iil iiifusidu 

 of Green lilood as the foiindalion ol' yood eolour. 

 and as an essential for llie niainlenanee of Ihal 

 mnch-dcsired dark midrib in Ihe halher. I 

 consider periodieal double-cresting advantageous 

 not only in increasing tlie percentage of Cresls 

 in the ])rogeny, but more especially if you are 

 forlunale lo Ijreecl a Crestbred from the nialing, 

 and if you pair this bird to a Crest also bred from 

 Double Crests, you are, lo my mind, proceeding 

 the most effectual way to produce winners. 



"With regard to Yellows, my experience wilh 

 these has been loo linuted to give. I liave 

 religiously avoided in-l)reeding so far as f know, 

 except in f ".108, when I experimented with uncle 

 and niece ; but although the progeny were gooil 

 specimens, their ])owers of reproduction seemed 

 to be so impaired, and their ofTsjiring, although 

 reared, so lacking in stamina that I decided lo 

 indelinitely postiione any further experiments 

 in in-breeding. The necessity for Ihe introduc- 

 tion of fresh blood nnist come sooner or later, 

 and in this it has been my practice lo secure the 

 best possible Crested or Crestbred male I could 

 for the purpose, preferring one entirely unrelated, 

 a good sliow bird for preference, and if fired 

 from exhibition specimens so nuuh the better, 

 which, to my mind, is the true valui' ol a 

 pedigree-bred bird. Owing to Ihe fact Ihal 

 almost every fancier ol the variety has drawn 

 on one source for the purpose ol inlrodueing 

 fresh blood, it is very dillicidl lo secure absolutely 

 mn'elated stock, and 11 ma\' have been Ihal my 

 introductions were remolel\ ii'laled lo my own 

 stock, l)ut lor Ihe purpose of explaining my 

 praclice 1 leel perfectly justilied in saying 1 

 have for .scune \cars bred exhibilion specimens 

 consistently from birds wliieh. so far as I kudw, 

 were absolutely unrelated. Aly winner ol the 

 London Cage Hird Association's (Challenge (Ui]) 

 was bred in this way, also my vnuiig C.reslbred 

 winner of the C.resl Canary Club's Ten (iiiinra 

 Silver Challenge Howl, f!)10. 



" To my mind it is very (pu'sliouable whether 

 we should seriously consider Ihe a(l\ isaliilily 

 of breeding wilh birds which are baekwanl in 

 asserting Ihcir sex, as 1 am of opinion Ihal Ihey 

 are not couslitutionally lil, olhei'wise Nature 

 would surely assert itself. I Ihink it is a mistake 

 to try lo i)alch up wrakl\- sp<'cimens, and 

 I strongly believe in Ihe law of (he 'survival 

 of the fittest,' brei'ding only from Ihe physically- 

 lit. One is lluui iu)l only eru-oui-af;ing stamina, 

 but every olliei' essiiilial for successful |)ro- 

 ]jagation. i'"or Ihepurjiose of increasing stamina 

 and conse(|uenl re])roductive ])owers of the 

 Vi-riety I commend my exi)eriments for considera- 

 tion : f tried, last year, lo secure Ihe biggest 



and |-oughest Norwich I'lainbead or Lancashire- 

 Norwich male bird 1 could, but, failing mistrably, 

 1 set lo work and ])aired a HnIT Lancashire Coppy 

 cock lo a large Yellow Llainhead Norwich hen, 

 and one of the young, a Lulf cock, can jjass \ cry 

 well for a C.reslbred. The feather is both dense 

 and luins back to Ihe end of beak. This year 

 it is mv iiiti'iit ion lo pair this lo Ihe best Crested 

 lien 1 have, which has been bred from two 

 Crested ])arenls. and thereby I hope lo make u|i 

 Ihe ground lost by the introdnclion of the 

 Norwich Plainhead. One or two of my friends 

 who knew my purpose criticised my action, 

 and suggested that the introduction of a Yellow 

 Norwich Llainhead cock direct to a Crested hen 

 would have been more satisfactory, with the 

 ]K)ssibility of obtaining a good Yellow from the 

 lirst cross ; but although 1 am always open to 

 learn I cannot see eye to eye wilh them. That 

 I must lose some ground and lime is sure, but 

 1 think 1 am now on the more certain if not 

 the shortest road. Time will, of course, prove. 

 One thing I have long realised we must have to 

 achieve that which raises us to the highest 

 ])innacle of success, that is ' patience.' Le prc- 

 ])ared for some sacrifice, give considerable 

 Ihought li> the work, and be determined to 

 conquer any obstacle thai may appear." 



SCALE 01-' POINTS FOK JUDGLXG CRIiSTLD 



AM) CHESTBm-:D CANAHIliS 



Chested 



(«) cle.vr body with chest of .\nv colour 



Points of Merit 



Miirtdnij Maximum 



Sluipe 111 crest, (lepcnclini; oil — 



I'driii of iiidividiuil feathers : ovate . . 5 



l-';ill of feathers : radiatiii.u and droopliif^ . 5 



Position of ami well lilled in Heal ceiltie . 5 



Front of crest : broad and ronml . . 5 



Sides and hack of cresl : well lillod-in . . a 



Size of eresi : leiii^th of feather, (lualily and area 10 



l)eiisil\ rdCrest : (|ii:iiitity id feather . . 8 



('.cd(Hir of crest ; lor ]nirity of its Uinil. Iiirds ot 



e(|iial merit with Dark Crests lo lake jirece- 



(leiiee over Crcy or Clear .... 7 



C.oloui- of Bird : dci)lli and purity . . . 'iU 



Feallier Compaclliess of liody-featlier and 



earria.ye of wings and tail . . . .10 



Size and Shape ...... 10 



Condition ...... 10 



100 



(/)) I.Vl.NI.Y-JIAIlKl 1) CIU-STia) 



Mcirkinr/ Mii.\ iinum 



Cresl (ileductin^; colour-points from foregoing 



scale) 40 



Marking — Exactness of wing-marking . . 10 



Saddle — Width and clear margin ... 5 



Hody-Colour — Dcplh and purity . . l-'i 



Feather — Compactness of body-feallicr and ear- 



raige of wings and tail . . . .10 



Size and Shape . . . . .10 



Comlition ....... 10 



100 



