96 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 
As there is a steady demand for singing Canaries, they 
are profitable to breed. The large English birds fetch 
good prices, up to twenty rupees, whereas a Chinese song- 
ster can be got for five or less. I should advise anyone 
who wishes to go in for breeding Canaries in India to get 
some fine English birds and cross them with Chinese hens, 
mating the best of the hens thus bred back to the English 
stock, though not of course to their own parents. In this 
way a good strain could be started at small expense. 
If crested birds are obtained, two must not be mated 
together, or the offspring, strangely enough, will have bad 
crests; instead,a crested birdshould be mated to a ‘“‘crest- 
bred” one, that is, a plain-headed bird whose mother or 
father had a crest. It must also be remembered, in dealing 
with crested birds, that they often cannot see very well on 
account of the crest. Desirable as bright colour is, also, it 
will not do to pair “yellows ’’ together, asif these bright 
specimens are mated, the offspring becomes lamentably 
scanty in feather. The proper mate for the bright yellow 
is the paler yellow or ‘‘buff,’’ which has a thicker plumage. 
Of the English breeds of Canaries the Norwich is about 
the best for general purposes. It is of good colour and 
large size, withno marked peculiarity of shape. It may be 
yellow or pied, and plain-headed or crested. The Border 
Fancy is a similar breed, but quite small in size. 
The Lancashire Coppy is a very large breed, of which 
the prize specimens are crested. 
The Belgian is a plain-headed breed, long and slender 
in shape, with a very long neck and high shoulders, the 
head being carried low. ; 
