332 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AiND BRITISH BIRDS 



Sucli a crcsL contains an cxaggfraU'd f<irni (if a 

 feature shown in Chapter XXII. lo he most 

 valuable — the well - filled nape — so viilualjle a 

 feature in its place that the Coppy cross is 

 frecjuently resorted to for no other jnirposf than 

 to obtain it. 



The large, full coppy, with just a sliglit 

 tendency lo droop, especially towards I he lips 

 of the feathers, owing to tlie flat Icnilincy of 

 the skull, is as rare as is the jierfect de\elopnient 

 of any other cultivated feature. There is the 

 average in respect of size and good form, but 

 nothing further; the rest is made up by the 



LANCASHIRE I'l.AlNHEAD AND COPPY 



size and majcslic cai'i-iage of I he bii'd. and llie 

 moflern crest of Norwich type is undoubtedly 

 indebted to the Lancashire for its large dimen- 

 sions. The monster crests of cilher the Lanca- 

 shire or Norwich (j'cst are not sim[)ly enlarged 

 editions of ils ordinary tyjie. Only very few 

 crests would, if indefinitely incr<'as<'(l in size, 

 assume (he form which common asseni has 

 declared lo be perfection ; il retpiires a c<'rlain 

 description of feather lo produce this, and only 

 when it is present, be il in <^oppy or Norwich 

 type, is this cxcepli<uial standard of excellen(<' 

 obtained. 



One feature in connection with the floppy 

 Crest and I'lainhead is worthy of nole, and in 

 this res|K'cl il lakes the lead of all others — viz. 

 in the average and exceptional superiority of 

 its yellows, while the diriicully of oblaining a 

 good yellow crest in I he Norwich l>|)e is well 

 known. 



The highest standard of Ix'auly in a Lanca- 

 shire Co])[)y in resjx'ct to colour is I he (;iear 

 form, though Ibis is not so marked as of yore 

 and the Clears do nol usually contain I he largesi 

 or best coppies. These are generally found 

 among the Grey or Ticked Coppies, beyond 

 which slight deparlure from clear feather the 

 Lancashire bird knows no variegation what- 

 ever. 



In slia|)e the Lancashire Cojipy is throughout 

 massive in its proportions. The neck is moder- 

 _ ately long, also straight, but loses 



something of ils apparent length in 

 its stoutness, as the head and crest must nol 

 appear as if attached to a nnishn.om stalk. The 

 shoulders are broad and well lilled. but not in 

 any way prominent. The liack is broad and 

 long, and should be well filled in, the slraighter 

 the better, though lieing of such gigantic size, 

 as the bird stands in its sliow cage there is a 

 slight tendency to a curve which only extra- 

 ordinary size can be weighed against. The 

 tendency of all verij long (Canaries is in the 

 direction of a curve. 



Average birds. howe\er, and birds above the 

 average, es])ecia'' • among the Yellows, are to 

 be found rigidly straiglit, bul some of the huge 

 Buffs really set all rule at dehance. 



The breast is very full and prominent : the 

 body long and tapering, though not fmely, and 

 showing plenty of side. The 

 The Wings wings are long, and not irifre- 

 and TaiL quenlly, especially in HulTs, 



crossed at tlie tips : this is a 

 defect, though (lilficult to overcome when 

 a certain point with respect to size has been 

 passed. The tail should be long, and though 

 somewhat thick, nicely folded. The legs 

 are long and strong, with the thighs well 

 fealbercd and not loo much exposed, or wlial 

 we have elsewhere described as stilly, i.i'. 

 straight and rigid. The body-fealher ought to 

 be long without being coarse, and there should 

 be plenty of it, w'th a profusion of white, flossy 

 underline. The connnonest fault in leal her is 

 a rulllc on the breast, and a general flufTiness 

 aboul llie waisl and lai'ger u])[)er tail-coverts. 

 These tell in close compel il ion. bul unusual size 

 and a suiK'rior style of <-oppy will somewhat 

 compensaU', for the Coppy is no excei)tion fo 

 the rule which assigns high values to ultra- 

 excellence in a culli\alcd f<alnr\'. e\cn if accom- 

 panied bv ollicrs nol in lhfmscl\es desirable. 



In colour (here arc bul four forms recognised 

 in llu' Lam asliiic : (^leai- ^■ellow, Ch^ai' l?ulT. 

 Ticked ^'ellow. and Ticked liulf. 

 our. Hrceders are \i ly paiiicular as to 



llie purily of Iheir birds' colour, and llial it be 

 ke])l strictly williiu I he limil of ■' Clear " or 

 " Ticked." Iheeding from Clears for genera- 

 lions is nol I he bcsl wa\ lo produce colour, and 

 I hough nol nuich can be expected Yellows nuist 

 be ^'cllows. and HulTs nmsl be Hull's; there 

 nmsl be no indccisi(ui in either form, no iionde- 

 scri|il, mealy .•idmixlurc lo deslroy Ihe lone of 

 I lie ^"ellow, nor an\ hail, peculiar lo yellow 

 feather alone, i)resent in the liulf lo cheat the 

 eye into a belief thai il is belter than it really 

 is. II may be IhaL the Ticked birds |)lay a not 

 unimi)ortanl part in keeping up some bright- 



