THE YORKSHIRE CANARY 



325 



— or perhaps it will be betler lo say length — is 

 an important feature; for it will be evident tliat 

 length without bulk is what is required. 



Such is the description of a typical 

 Yorkshire, and a nice bit of " swagger," 

 or, as the Yorkshiremcn call it, " breed," 

 sets off the ideal to even greater perfection, 

 providing, of course, that it is steady in 

 the show cage, and is in good, hard, proud 

 condition. A good idea of the breed's 

 beauty can be obtained from our coloured 

 plate and the capital engraving on 

 page 103. As many as twenty-four com- 

 petitive classes are given at some York- 

 shire shows, the classification being as 

 follows : — 



(n) Clear Yellow 



(c) Ticked Yellow 



((?) Uiillightod Ycliow 



(9) Clciir or Ticked Yel- 

 low Hcii 



(i) Even, Uneven, or 

 Heavily Variegated 

 Yellow 



(A) Even, Uneven, or 

 Heavily Variegated 

 Yellow Hen 

 (m) Cinnamon Ticked or 

 Variegated Yellow 



(0) Cinnamon Ticked or 



Variegated 

 Hen 



Yellow 



NOVICE 



Ticked 



(a) Clear or 



Yellow 

 (c) Even, Uneven, or 



Heavily Variegated 



Yellow or Bull 

 (e) Unflightcd Yellow 

 (j) Clear or Ticked 



Yellow Hen 



(b) Clear Buff 

 ((/) Ticked Buff 

 (/) Unflighted Buff 

 (/i) Clear or Ticked Burt 



I Icn 

 (/) Even, Uneven, or 



Heavily Variegated 



Bull 

 (0 Even, Uneven, or 



Heavily Variegated 



Bull' Hen 

 (n) Cinnamon Ticked or 



Variegated Buff 

 (p) Cinnamon Ticked or 



Variegated Buff Hen 



CLASSES 



(h) Clear or Ticked BulT 



((/) Even, Uneven, or 

 Heavily Variegated 

 Yellow or Buff Hen 



(/) Unnighted Bulf 



(/j) Clear or Ticked Bull 

 I Icn 



Influence 

 of Other 

 Varieties. 



Years ago there were two schools of 

 fanciers of the variety — those who adhered 

 closely to the original type, 

 and who allowed a manifest 

 deterioration in length and 

 size generally to creeji in ; and 

 those who, to recover these features, im- 

 ported such a lot of foreign element that 

 there was at one time imminent danger of 

 the massive Lancashire Plainhead supplant- 

 ing the genuine Yorkshire. Decisive action 

 in the show-room, based on strict adherence 

 to the standard, eventually settled the 

 question, and the variety was established 

 on a sounder basis than had existed for 



years, the importation of the Lancashire 

 and other elements, in which Belgian, 

 Norwich, and Cinnamon also played no 

 inconsiderable part, not having been with- 

 out some advantage. Tlie bird, in those 

 days, was really declining, aiid required 

 vigorous treatment, though the work of 

 restoration was rather hastily performed. 

 The features even now requiring the most 

 careful watching are chiefly the imprints 

 of the Belgian and Lancashire blood. 

 From the latter came bulkiness and a 

 certain coarseness of feather and width of 

 skull, and a tendency, common to the 

 Lancashire, and even, to an extent, the 

 Belgian, to grow a breast frill. The first 

 of these bad points, undue size, was to 

 some extent toned down by the Belgian 

 cross, which in its turn left the curved 

 lines, prominent slioulder, hollow tieck, 

 and too fine head, not wanted in the 

 Yorkshire. The Norwich was also called 

 into requisition, and to this may be attrib- 

 uted the improvement in coloiu- and breast 

 frills. The Cinnamon added another shade 

 of colour, and further enhanced the existing 

 e>^cellent cpiality of feather. 



The Yorkshire variety formerly was 

 alwaj's to the fore in producing Even 

 INLarks. and a good class of Yellows and 

 another of Bulls was common enough, 

 but to-day Border Fancies take the lead 

 as regards " [Marked Classes," a fact 

 which should make Yorkshire Breeder.? 

 bestir tliemselves to recover their old posi- 

 tion, and a perusal of Chapter XIX. on 

 Breeding Even Marks may assist them. 



The National Green-marked Yorkshire 

 Canary Club is doing a good work in the 

 interests of the marked bird, and already 

 has the word " Even " included in the 

 marked classes, as will be .seen in the 

 classification already given. Even-marked 

 Yorkshires of the Cinnamon shade — also 

 referred to in the chapter on Even Mark,s — • 

 are singularly beautiful, and many perfect 

 specimens were exhibited by that astute 

 Yorkshire breeder, the late Mr. Thackery. 



Mr. R. L. Crisp, of Chelsea, London, a 

 well-known breeder, in relating his ex- 

 perience to us accredits his success to 



