3o6 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



London 

 Fancy. 



fying it Avith tlic locality in which it was 

 cultivated ; and it is a fact worthy oi note 

 that the " fine spangled sort,"' now known 

 as the Lizard, is now, as then, the pet 

 bird of the same class of handicraftsman, 

 whether the conmumity be planted in 

 Nottingham, long the centre of the Lizard 

 fancy, or in Lancashire, where certain 

 known strains descend as heirlooms in 

 families. 



But whence evolved, is the problem we 

 have to solve, and. Is the London Fancy 



originally from the loins 

 Origin of the „f ^he Lizard ? the direct 



(lucstion we have to answer. 



We are of opinion that it 

 is. The general tendency of the whole 

 domesticated Canary family is to struggle 

 out of darkness into light, and we think 

 it more in accordance with this natural 

 law that the dark, spangled body should 

 develop into a clear form than that the 

 clear should grow dark. 



This argument of Mr. Blakston is su]i- 

 ported by the fact that in the year 1888 

 Mr. J. Green, of Leigh. Lancashire, bred 

 a perfect London Fancy from a pair of 

 Lizards. So good was this young bird 

 that Mr. (ireen entered it in the London 

 Fancy class at the Crystal Palace Sliow, 

 Feb., 1889, and it secured first ]irizc. So 

 fine a representative of this variety was it 

 that London Fancy breeders talked of it 

 for months after. 



It may be said that there is no necessity to 

 raise the question. Here is the liird ; make 

 the best you can of il. and never mind 

 where it came from. That is nil very well ; 

 but the two birds ai'c so singulaiiy alike 

 at one period of their fives viz. in Ihcir 

 nest-plumage^and so iinfikc ;it audtlici-. 

 after their first moult; and again, as age 

 erce])s on them and they turn their backs 

 on the show-world and gn down i he hill 

 together, they once more become so nnich 

 alike that, forgetting the nfiddle period ol 

 their lives, when, inllatcd wilh ])ride. each 

 scouted the idea of Ihc remotest rclation- 

 shij) with the other, tlicy seem willing to 

 say, "We were wondei'fuliy alike in our 

 cradles, and arc nearly as much so in our 



last days, and perhaps, after all. may be 

 of the same family-tree." 



We shall begin with the London Fancy 

 in its nest-feather, and at this stage it 

 requires exactly similar care and treatment 

 as the Lizard in order to keep its ])lumage 

 perfect for exhibition pin-poses. The same 

 general management, therefore, laid tlown 

 in our previous chapter may be safely 

 adojjted. 



The young bird in its nestling stage is 



so much like a nestling Lizard that the 



difference between the two 



Changes in ^..^^^ scarcely be distinguished 

 rlumage. •' ~ 



even by the most experienced. 



It has the clear caj). the same dull greenish 

 brown body-feather, the black wings and 

 tail, with ])retty nuich the same general 

 character of detail, even to the grey margin 

 on the outside of the narrow web of the 

 ])remier (lights. ])rodueing tiie identical 

 effect of the pale transverse band referred 

 to in our notes on the Lizard wing ; and 

 this description of the young bird will, 

 ajjart from its serving to show the resem- 

 blance between the two, sulRce for our 

 purpose. There are exce])tions where the 

 body of tlie j'oung are not all dark like the 

 young Lizard. Our Yellow hen, " Old (Jold " 

 (p. 305), which was acknowledged by all 

 breeders to be one of the best and most 

 perfect London Fancies ever seen, had the 

 whole of her saddle or back leathers jier- 

 feetly clear wlicu she left the nest, and a 

 sister had this almost clear, the rest of the 

 body being dark. 



On its first moult, whicli consists in tlic 

 shedding of only the small body- leathers 

 like all other Canaries, the character of 

 the body-feather entirely changes, the daik 

 nondescript green or brown giving ]>lacc 

 to:; brilliant orange ; in the most carefully 

 bred specimens, entirely free from ticks 

 or dark I'cal hers of any kind, but in rormcr 

 Ncars more oi' less ticked or s|)aiigled, 

 the really ixrlVet bird is exceptionally 

 rare. The dark lliglil IVat hers, as well as 

 the bastard (|nills. of course, remain, and 

 wilh the (lark tail form a Acry beauliiul 

 contrast to llic ric)i oiauge oi the body, 

 as shown in llii' i-oloured plate ol Lizards 



