CHAPTER XXXI 



THE GERMAN OR ROLLER CANARY 



Its 



Development 



To tlidiisaiuls the Canary is chiefly known 

 as a singing bird ; but there is one variety, 

 the German or Roller Canary, the sweet- 

 ness and perpetual melody of whose song 

 cannot he equalled by the uueultivated 

 notes ol' ordinary Canaries, although it is 

 one of the poorest-coloured and most 

 insignificant of the whole Canary family — 

 the Wild Canary excepted. 



As we have had to go to the Continent 

 already for three of the most remarkable 

 varieties of the Exhibi- 

 tion Canary, it is not sur- 

 |)rising to find that the 

 Song Canary was " made in Germany.'" It 

 has been developed by generations of careful 

 training and breeding, and so ])0])ular has 

 this trained songster become in England 

 that to-day there are several Roller Clubs 

 established. The first of these was formed 

 in London in 1!»0L and the result is that 

 there are numbers of brccdeis here now. 

 but Germany still remains l)y far the largest 

 Roller breeding centre. In fact, it is a 

 N'aluabic commercial asset hi thai coiinli'w 

 as the birds are exported by thousands 

 (luring the months succeeding the lireeding 

 season. The first consignments arc usualK 

 hens or a \"cry large pr'o])ortion of tluiii. 

 the cocks being exported latci-. It was 

 estimated years ago thai not fewer than a 

 quarter of a million Canaries were e.x])orted 

 from (ierman>' anmially, anfl liic mimbcr 

 continues to increase. 



The main object of the (Jerman breeders 

 is cither to ])roducc great numbers of the 

 ordinarv song birds regardless of ll:c 



qviality of their notes, for sale and export, 



or else fewer numbers of superior stock 



for exhibition contest singing. 

 The Song. ,, , . 4.1 i • i 



r'or this purpose the bu'ds 



are trained to sing whenever called upon 

 by the vendor or the judge, which they will 

 do jirovided the room is kept at a genial 

 temperature, and the birds are in good 

 form. Rollers in this country are. as a 

 rule, judged sejiarately in a room adjoining 

 the exhibition hall of the other varieties of 

 Canary. 



In Germany, team, as well as indi- 

 vidual ])rizes, are given. A raised staging 

 or table is arranged in the room with 

 chairs roimd it for the judges, and an 

 exhibitor's team is placed on the tal)lc. and 

 the doors of the song boxes ojiencd. or the 

 coverings removed from the front of the 

 cages. The liirds" vocal ]ierformancc is 

 keenly scrutinised, a harsh note, a too rapid 

 (lcli\('rance of the ^■arious tours oi- an in- 

 clination to " .la])]),"" or a halt in the mitldle 

 of the jicrformaucc, are all noted down on 

 the judge's sheet against that i).-ut icular 

 bird or team of birds, if necessity demands. 

 To obtain a fii'st ]iri/.e a ])ci'formcr nmst 

 come u]) to the desired standard, he must 

 lia\"c the necessary (luality and variety of 

 song, and go Ihi'ougji it with the regularity 

 and ]irccision of the swing of a clock's 

 ])enduluiu, neither loo long nor too short, 

 with the e\cn rise and fall of a pcri'ct 

 musician, and finish olT well. Such a bird 

 is awarded a first )iri/.c as the best of that 

 breeder's team. Others if merit wai'rants, 

 will be awarded jjrizes of \aiyiug grades. 



338 



