October 28, 1S69. ] 



JOUK'^AL OF HORTXGULTORE AND COTTAGa GABDENEB. 



351 



read the letter I tcok it to mean rene, and on referring to the 

 eatalogae I founil, as I stated, ocly fourteen pens entered and 

 three empty. In the Besond place, your correspondent states 

 that I made a remailc that he hid to read three times over 

 before he could believe his eyes. It was, " Hsd there been a 

 large entry, of course we should have measured them." Now, 

 I think, anyone must admit it is much easier to decide which 

 of two Rabbits is the better when they are side by side, than 

 to choose the best two out of twenty or more. With regard to 

 testing the merits of the two Rabbits, let them be shown at 

 Leeds and York ; probably they will have different and, I hope, 

 competent judges. The second-prize Ribbit at Whitby taking 

 first at Long Sutton, is no proof that it was the best. Tjur 

 correspondent mentions Wakefield, where he says they were 

 measured and received their fall share of attention ; but there, 

 I may say, all were not satisfied, for as I passed the Rabbit 

 pens I heard a gentleman say to his friend, " See, they have re- 

 versed the Bingley decision given only a week ago." At, Bingley 

 the prizes were awardtd by Mr. Teebay, who is a well-known 

 judge and has had great experience. Lastly, as regards the 

 statement that we judged the Rabbits in less than two minutes, 

 I supposed it too ridiculous for auyouo to believe, but as I did 

 not look at my watch, I cannot say what the exact time wae, 

 hut certainly much more than that.— James Dixon. 



[Here this controvsrs^y hid better close. The object of our 

 correspondent has been attained — namel.v, securing attention 

 to the appointment of efficient judges for Rabbi's.— Ei>s.] 



CANARY-LOVE REVIVED. 



Ou) loves are very dangerous things ; you may think them 

 obliterated, that thty have died out, been stamped out — you 

 may even come to think of them as of things that had no real 

 existence, when, lo ! they revive, they re-exist, they are ajuia 

 as stong as ever, if not stronger. Thus, for example, a y<'"ug 

 couple perpetrated that soft thing — a mutual attachment ; but 

 Etern parents on both sides forbad it sternly, a cross-grained 

 rich old bachelor uncle buttoned up his breeches' pockets omi- 

 nously (this wag considered the worst tign of all), and the 

 youth was never to see the maiden more. He was sent oil" to 

 India, where he killed tigers, gained much Asiatic knowle-lge, 

 and returned in twenty years' time with nearly half a livtr, 

 and 8s to love, so it was supposed by himself, not the least 

 bit of a heart, when lo ! he meets the lady the day he lan'led, 

 entre nous, she managed that, and that day month they were — 

 married. Oh! good lealers, beware of eld loves, they are so- 

 very apt to become young again. 



I had an old love for Canaries ; it existed in its strength 

 more years ago than I care to remember, but of one thing I 

 am sure, that (he last twenty I considered myself, as to cage 

 birds in general and Canaries in particular, " fancy free." But 

 it so happened thst I saw a paper in this Journal about tho 

 little creatures, and in a very unguarded moment, little think- 

 ing what would be the result, I read it, and liked it. At its 

 end was to me an unknown name — " W. A. Blakston." Now, 

 I did not know Mr. Blakston in the least, never had seen him, 

 had no interest in his interests, and was not godfather to his 

 " Jacky;" but I will say, and quite disinterestedly, that I was 

 SO caught by the style of writing of that Canary paper that I 

 have read every line Mr. Blakston has since written. Such is 

 the power of a happy, pleasant style. 



But more remains to be said. I have spent this year a small 

 fortune in cages ; I have even get to the length of having a 

 Canary room, and all owing to Mr. Blakston. I think he is the 

 real "Wizard of the North." I do not say that he ought ex- 

 actly to be burnt in a Sunderland furnace; but there — he has 

 made me during last summer chop hard-boiled eggs daily, 

 though if there be a smell I specially detest, it is that of a 

 hard-boiled egg ; and though I am fond of a neat garden, I 

 have coiue to regard chickweed and groundsel affectionately, 

 oven if in the garden. I, who for twenty good years never 

 looked upon a Canary other than as a little yellow bird that 

 yelped like a lonely chicken, and even hurried past Cmary 

 shops, now peep into every cage I tec, look into windows if 

 there is a cage inside, until I am afraid the police will take 

 me for an intending burglar, got up clerically, or as Bobby 

 might say, "doing the parson dodge." I now go into every 

 Canary shop I see ; I go and see ladies' pets, listen to their 

 bird's song, and criticise it; I look wise at Crested Norwich, 

 eivo oracular decisions about eye marks, wing marks, and tail 

 marks ; I set up my shouldeis at Belgians f )f sympathy's 

 sake, not horror now ; I lie and wonder and suppose how very 



beautiful Mr. Ashton's Lizards must be ; I think of going to 

 Canary shows, leaving word with the churchwarden, " left on 

 urgent private affairs." 



And all this is owing to the Sunderland wizard. I, Vfho 

 positively regarded Canary people as " a little touched, you 

 know, but perfectly harmless," now am in the fancy ; Canary 

 love has revived, and is burning so hotly that I beg space to 

 have my say on the subject. 



First, even every scoffer must own, unless he is blind and 

 deaf, that a love of Canaries is a very general love. The other 

 day when in London, I could but notice how many Canaries 

 there are in every street, especially the most private streets. 

 In better streets I saw white-banded, neatly-tumed-wristed 

 young ladies, in summer morning dresses, most becoming of 

 dresses, hanging their pet Canaries in the morning sunshine, 

 over the Geraniums in the window — in back streets still there 

 were Canaries — in shops, even. Canaries. Why, I believe, if 

 in every town in all England, ail the Canaries were on a given 

 day let out, there would be a very observable addition to our 

 ornithology, and that in some towns the air would be fall of 

 little yellow wings. 



The love of cage birds is almost universal, and, then, happily 

 it can be followed in all places. If you pass through a London 

 mews you will see that Larks and Thrushes are the favourites. 

 Why ? Because coachmen and their wives, and grooms (not yet 

 bridegrooms), are from the country, and the note of a Lark or 

 Thrush brings all the country before their eyes. As Words- 

 worth says when he sung the reverie of poor " Countrified 

 Susan " living in London, 



" At the corner of Wood Street, when daylight appears, 

 Hang? a Thrush that sings loud, it has Bung tor Ihree years, 

 Poor Snsan has passed by the spot, and has heard 

 In the silence of moming the song of the bird. 

 'Tis a note of enchantmeut, what ails her ? She sees 

 A mountain ascending, a vision of trees. 

 Bright volume of VP-pour through Lothbnry glide, 

 And a river flows en through the vale of Gheapside." 



So, doubtless, is the case in countless instances, and a Lark 

 or a Thrash from the country bricgs to country-born and 

 country-loving hearts, in populous cities pent, much of delight. 

 But there is in my mind a thought ot cruelty which spoUs my 

 happiness, when I look at a Lark or Thrush in a cage ; whereas, 

 my little friend the Canary is not " to the manor born," but 

 " to the cage bom." For three hundred years he has been 

 hatched in a cage ; it U bis cradle, his home, his castle, and he, 

 a poor feeble flier, is happiest there. 



Studying, along with Mr. Blakston'a commentaries (these 

 not dull ones), the late Mr. Brent's book, I found I had good 

 and accurate guides. P^ior Brent is gone, and I like to be able 

 to peruse the deoarted. Now, it is remarkable how accurately 

 he wrote. I refer especially to his books on Pigeons and 

 cage birds. There are no such in existence ; they are original 

 and wonderfully correct, unlike so many handbooks which are 

 conied one from another and abound in blunders. 



To those inclined to keep Canaries, cr who only keep com- 

 mon birds, I would beg them to remember the greatdifference 

 between the common coarse-bred Canary and the Fancy 

 Norwich, the superiority of the latter to the former is very 

 great. The common Canary, as you may see it by the dozen 

 in low-class bird shops, is only a vulgar little fellow; shape 

 and plumage are both wonderfully inferior to the Norwich 

 Jonque or Mealy, who looks a high-bred little gentleman with 

 an unsoiled coat. He costs no more to feed than a com- 

 mon bird ; then why should he not put the vulgarian out of 



There is one thing for which I especially like the Canary — 

 that is, his happy disposition. He seems an example for man ; 

 he is content, happy, and almost always merry, grateful for a 

 little notice, as the glance of hi^ eye (how black and bright that 

 eve is, especially in the Clear Yellows), the nod of his shapely 

 li'ttle head, and the jerk of his tail, plainly indicate. Not that 

 all are alike in disposition. I have one who was intended by 

 noluve to be an old bachelor ; he is fhy and nervous with other 

 birds, and prefers being hung up a little high lalher than have 

 his cage on the table. Then, I have a very vain bird; he 

 must be noticed or he is unhappy. I take care never to pass 

 his cage without a word and a nod. He reminds me ol an over- 

 sensitive friend, who, if you pass him hurriedly on business or 

 suppose you have a toothache, or do not always invite him 

 to your parties, he takes a tiff and beg^ io know how he has 

 offended you. Then, the hen Canaries differ. I have a dear 

 little hedge-sparrow-like bird (a Eedge-Sparrow to my mind 

 always looks kind) ; I may shake her on her nest and she 



