^12 



CANARIES, H^ BRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



have hl'cd some usdul stock hinls lidin a 

 (iolck'ii Sj)aiialc'(l liizard cook, paii'cd to 

 a small, ti<>ht-icatlu're(l Clear Yellow 

 Nor\vicli hen. and also Iroiii a Golden Lizard 

 cock and a chnliby-bnilt. close-feathered 

 Clear Yellow Border Fancy hen. In llic 

 ])rogeny of these we selected oidy those 

 birds which approached the liOndon Fancy 

 by 2)ossessin<i' dark winL;s and fail, or those 

 most perfect in this respect, and showing 

 a tendency to have clear l)odies. These 

 we ])aircd back to pure London Fancies — 

 Yellow to BnlT — and the best of their 

 young back again to pi;re London Fancies, 

 selecting the nu)st perfect each time. Uy 

 this means in a few years we produced 

 some birds lit to show and take ])rizes. 

 Some such procedure must l)e again adopted 

 to resuscitate the breed if we would see 

 its numbers increased and become jjopular. 

 The Lizards we selected for crossing were 

 birds jia\"ing gnofl dark wings and tail. 

 but as light as possible in body-colour. 

 The spangling of such light-coloured ))irds 

 is not distinct, being intcrniixctl with a 

 grizzly light shade, a ])oiut in the breeder's 

 favour. We found, by using a Clear Norwich 

 or ]iorder Fancy hen lioni stock Clear 

 bred for a generation or two, we got better 

 residts than from hens that possessed (Jreen 

 blood. 



'i'lic late ]\Ir. Charles Ncedha.m. of 

 Hassocks, Sussex, a most successful breedci', 

 greatly impro\ed his stock by an occasional 

 cross with the Lizard. 'J'liis he found 

 recovered lost eoloui' in the wings and tails 

 of his stock by working the icsnltaut 

 young showing the greatest ainouni ol 

 J.ondon Fancy ])ropcrties back to ))nrc 

 London Fancies. 



Every detail with respect to iiKiiilliuLi 

 as given in our Lizard notes a|)plics strictly 

 to the London I'a.ncy. every preeant ion that 

 ingenuity can devise Ixing necessary to 

 ;)revent any accidental shedding, ])lneking. 

 or knocking out of the llight or tail feathers, 

 the value of which for show ])ui'|)oses is, 

 as ■with the l.izai'd. one of its essentials. 

 We eouclude our notice of this beautiful 

 bird with a Standard Scale of Foiuls 



which we think will be acceptable to all 

 a.dmii'crs of the bii'd : 



Scale of Points foii Jcdoing London F.\ncy 

 ('.AN.\nn:s 



I'l/inls ()/ Miril 



Ma.iinnim 

 C.iildiir. — On llio liDily, iiicliuliii.L! llie cnp or 

 crown : fur ili|)tli and purity, aljsolutely 

 clear cap, and frocduni from licUs or 

 span.yles on l)ack ..... 20 



()]i tlic \vinv!s : lor lilackiuss of wel) and quill 



of lllKlit-fcatlicrs and liastard-fcatlicrs . 20 

 On flu- tail ; for tlio same . . .10 



Vuderflue : for blactcncss . . 5 



l-'calhcr. — I'or line silky qualily and coni|)acl- 



uess ....... 10 



Sliajie. — Head, broad and neat ; back, for 



width ; breast, for fullness . . .10 



.Size. — For generally robust apjiearance. 10 



Legs and Kcct. — l''or darkness ... 5 

 Condition. — Health, cleanness, and so'ind 



leather 10 



Total .... 100 

 Xci/iilit'c I'liijicrliia 



.\ London Fancy Canary should on no account show 

 I he sli,ghtesl lick on or about the region of the crown 

 or cap ; nor. in the i>erfectly developed form of its 

 show-|)lunui,ge, sliould it show any dark feather or 

 any feallur ticked or .gi izzled in web or tpiill on the 

 luck, back, breast, or other ]iart of the body, or any 

 teiidciu-y to a licked or si)angled habit of plumage. It 

 should not on any account have a while feather in the 

 wings or tail, either in its ncst-fealhers or as the residl 

 of aceidenlal shedding ; nor should any of tliesc strong 

 (piills show a grey cu' grizzled form, or other than a 

 glossy black colour. It should not liavo white bastard- 

 quills. Xeither should it exhiliil while imderlluc or 

 while skin anywhere except on the crown, nor is it 

 desirable that it should have white legs or feet, or similar 

 features belonging to clear-bodie<l birds of other varie- 

 ties. It should not have coarse feather, nor a slovenly 

 carriage of wings or tail. It should not liave a narrow, 

 nu'an head, nor be long ami narrow in body, nor 

 upriglit in ])nsition, as opposed to the broad-backc<l, 

 full-breasted, semi-erect type of Canary, nor should il 

 lie small or pimy in its build. It should not be slu)wn 

 dirly or with broken feathers, or in a way calculated to 

 liiilc the brilliancy of ils clear body or mar tlie elTccl 

 of the contrast furnished by its distinctive plumage. 



Disiiiinlificiitiiins 



The presence of dark feathers on the cap or crown, 

 ciiuslilutiug the bird " foul capped," .\n niliniij 

 white feather in wing or tail — i.e. a feather which does 

 nol show sciuc Irace of dark colour either in web or 

 (piill. 



In llns. as in previous scales, we have given oid.y 

 what we consider the leading features of the liird, and 

 have endeavoured to avoid any hair-splitting in our 

 v.duations, adopting ."> as our base or uuil, and making 

 other values multiples of llial number. 



