296 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



tlic widtli is lost, wliilc there is 110 liarsli- 

 ness of outline. 



A perfect cap should be hounded by a 

 line commencing at the toji of the beak 

 and passing over the top of the eye round 

 to the back of the head in the same plane, 

 and rctiu'uing in tlie same way on the other 

 side. It must not come lower than the 

 top of the eye, and the bomidarv-linc at 

 this part should be a hair-line of clearly 

 defined feathers. The outline must he 

 unbroken, and the entire area clear and 

 unsullied by the presence of a single dark 

 feather. A good type of the desired cap 

 may be seen in the Golden Lizard on our 

 coloured plate, and also the illustrations of 

 Clear Cajis on pages 137 and 302. The cap of 

 a nestling, when just begiiming to sprout, 



to ticks or ])atclies of dark colour remote 

 from the margin. There arc also non- 

 capped specimens, in wliich the entire cap 

 is dark instead of light. 



We furnish illustrations of the most 

 common forms assumed by defective ca])s. 



Fig. a represents a decided 



Defective < 1 r i" ■ n 



Q^p^ patch ol si)anghng m the 



centre, and speaks for itself. 

 It is not always, however, so clearly delined 

 as this, but may assume the character of 

 a minute tick, consisting, in fact, of but 

 a single fciither. Fig. b also represents 

 a form of broken cap unmistakable in its 

 character, a great portion of the area of 

 the cap being absorbed by the encroach- 

 ment of the dark neck-feathers in a solid, 

 mibroken mass. We have given this illus- 



I-"ig. n 



Fig. 6 Fig. c 



COMMON FORMS OF DEFECTIVE CAPS 



Fig. d 



IN LIZ.4RDS. 



often presents the ajipcarance of a mere tration for a twofold purpose — to exemplify 



streak, and seems to bear no jiroportion this j)artieular form, and to show clearly 



to the amount of daik feathers on either the difference between it and Fig. c, 



side ; but if it be regular in shajx'- and representing a " rmi cn|)."" in which the 



at this stage of its existence e\cry leather clear colour is seen running o\er and down 



c;in l)e seen, and the slightest defect asccr- the back of the neck. If the entire width 



tained there need l)e no fear as to its of clear cap runs over its normal margin 



ultimately covering its allotted space, and into the dark neck feathers, it is described 



such ajiparently too wide luargin of dark as " over cap])ed." 

 feathers becomes no defect, but dcvelo|)s The forms we have described — viz., the 



into the fine hair-line we have referred to 

 as the cup arrives at maturity. 



Any intrusion of the siiri'ounding dark 

 feathers on the clear surface is recognised 

 as, and called, a "" broken " ca]i, and anv 

 intrusion of the cap itself on the d.-irk 

 feathers of the neck is called a " rim caj), 

 or " over-cap," than which more sug- 

 gestive terms could scarcely be used. The 

 term " lirokcn," of course, attaches also 



greater and lesser isolated blemishes, and 

 the clearly defined intrusion of the neck- 

 spangles in a connected mass — constitute 

 the three rei)resentativc examples of the 

 br()ken-capi)ed bird, the presence of any 

 of the l)lemishcs entailing the ]Knalty of 

 dis(|ualilication in a clear ca]) class. 



There is one other blemished ty])c, in 

 reality one form of the run ca)). but run 

 in a direction dilTcrent from that indicated 



