360 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTDKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ May 6, 1876. 



The great caie and attention paid to the poaltry during bo 

 many years past cauuot but insure the confidence of all com- 

 petitors, and the rigid manner in which the regulation is carried 

 out, prohibiting any " exhibitor or servant " haviug access to 

 the birds until they have been judged, will meet with general 

 approval. 



CRESTED NORWICH CANARIES. 



As proof of the high favour in which Crested Norwich birds 

 are held, no less than 132 specimens were exhibited in the five 

 classes at the last Crystal Palace Bird Show. Of late years 

 especially, quality of breed and colour have been studied by 

 fanciers who have much improved the Crested breed of Canaries. 

 This improvement has been etiected by crossing Norwich birds 

 with the old crested strain, most of which formerly were of 

 dark plumage and strong in constitution. From this cross has 

 originated the title or appellation of " Crested Norwich." 



In years past Crested Canaries were more familiarly under- 

 stood by the names of " cappled " or " coppled-crowns," " tassel- 

 headed," or " toppins," and even at the present period in out-of- 

 the way districts of the midland and northern counties, where 

 the intelligence of the more educated fanciers of the bird-world 

 has not reached, may be occaeionally heard some such desig- 

 nations applied to Canaries possessing this peculiar ruffled 

 adornment of head feathers. And 

 it would be a difficult matter to 

 uproot fixed notions from the 

 minds of some, particularly those 

 in the rural districts, who will 

 stoutly contend the point with 

 you that a Yellowhammer ia 

 nothing but a Goldfinch. 



I have frequently been amused 

 whilst listening to contentions 

 over the terms " caps," " crests," 

 "toppins," or *' tassels," but the 

 arguments have generally ended 

 without any decisive results. 

 Some have wisely contended that 

 the term " cap " applies to a bird 

 with a covering of feathers over 

 the entire crown otherwise than 

 is the case with a crested bird, 

 which ia often somewhat defi- 

 cient of feathers in the centre of 

 the crown. Other fanciers have 

 placed their faith in the word 

 " toppin," because the feathers 

 are elevated above the crown of 

 the head. I prefer either desig- 

 nation in preference to the word 

 " tassel," for the reason that this 

 particular ornamental and de- 

 corative bunch may be worn or 

 suspended from other parts than 

 the head. In my opinion the 

 word " crest," which signifies a 

 plume, has a greater claim than 

 all others. 



Created Norwich birds vary in 

 general formation of crests from 



the massive made birds styled " Manchester Coppys," for in- 

 stead of the crest in the Norwich graduating into smooth 

 feathers from over the eyelids to the lack part of the head as in 

 the Coppy, the crest is mostly continued around the head, the 

 feathers behind inclining upwarc's. This in most instances pro- 

 duces baldness, which is an eyepore. 



Although breed and colour have been imported, the crests 

 vary in form and appearance. Some crests, although thickly 

 feathered, are short and stunted, and resemble a flower only 

 half blown, appearing as though the feathers had been cropped- 

 off over the beak. Such do not find much favour. A skeleton 

 formation of crest, which ia known by the large bald centre- 

 piece of the crown with a thin line of feathers over the beak 

 and eyes, is also objectionable, aud will never make headway 

 against a flowing, full-feathered, high-cultivated crest, which 

 appears as though a brush and comb and smoothing-iron had 

 been at work. 1 like to see the feathers fall heavily, regularly, 

 and even over the beak and eyes, diverging from the centre of 

 the crown which is termed the " pea." 



In a spare-fealhered crest one great fault is the mere outline 

 or apology for a crest, with the " pea " nearly half the size of a 

 threepenny-piece. Some crests partake of a more pointed or 

 narrow form over the bill, but become gradually wider towards 

 the back part of the skull, where they terminate somewhat 

 Equare, and take an upward curl of feathers at the extreme 

 sides. I consider such shaped crests defective, for the very 

 reason that the greatest weight of the crest should be over the 

 beak and eyes, with the crest somewhat compressed in appear- 

 ance and fully developed. Dark crests show to greater ad- 



vantage especially in fall-sized crested birds, with an inclination 

 for the dark feathers to be continued so as to form a short hood. 

 They are more 'showy than button- crested birds, and are pre- 

 ferable to grizzled or clear crests, the latter especially showing 

 to the least advantage. Still I have seen some such crests 

 tolerably good. To increase or encourage size of crest it is 

 advisable occasionally to breed with two buff birds, one crested 

 and the other plain-headed of the crested strain. 



There are two essential matters to study in the breeding 

 of good Norwich Crested birds. In size they should not ap- 

 proach the Coppy breed ; if so they run the chance of being 

 diaqualitied when exhibited. Good healthy bold-looking birds 

 should be selected for breeding purposes, and in matching 

 avoid putting together a pair strong in colour, and each having 

 crests. 



The number of classes set apart in the schedules of the most 

 important shows varies. Sometimes there are only a conple of 

 classes, whilst at other times as many as five or six classes are 

 set apart. The foremost or principal classes are those for even 

 or best-marked crested birds (yellow or buff), poesesaing dark 

 crests and with an even number of dark smaller flight feathers, 

 the remaining portion of the bird being clear, unless there be 

 a dark feather on each side of the tail. Next to the even-marked 

 birds stand those entirely clear excepting the crest. Crest is the 

 chief point of perfection ; condition, plumage, and other points 



Fig. 86.— Chested sobwich. 



of consideration being studied in judging as in other kinds of 

 Norwich birds. 



The engraving we publish represents one of the finest speci- 

 mens of a Crested Norwich it has been our pleasure to see. The 

 bird ia posaessed of all the easential qualifications for the high 

 honour it gained for its owner— Mr. Woodward of Derby, who 

 exhibited it at the last Crystal Palace Show, and added a first 

 prize to several others previously won. The bird is a hen, 

 eighteen months old, and was exhibited in " Class 10, Evenly- 

 marked Created Buff Norwich." Thirty other specimens were 

 shown in the aame class.— Geo. J. Babnesbt. 



TRADE IN FOREIGN GAME AND POULTRY. 



This has rapidly grown up within the past few years, and 

 experience has almost solved that problem of food preservation 

 wherein science is yet at fault. For instance, the poulterers 

 who are consignees of birds from America receive great numbers 

 of casks in which are now packed, with perfect safety, vast 

 quantities of game that would inevitably have been spoiled if 

 the same thing had been attempted with imperfect knowledge a 

 few years ago. , . . i <u 



The Prairie bird, a species of Capercailzie, which has me 

 feathers dbwn the lege, and which gastronomera have declared 

 has the bitter back- bone so highly esteemed in the true Grouse, 

 comes across the Atlantic with little or no injury from the 

 voyage, though, it must be granted, with some little sacrifice of 

 tenderness, by the method of preparation for packing. This 



