Our Yorkshire Spangles and Norwich Yellow. 31 



him dance along his perch, merry as a gri^^, and beating 

 time to his own tune, as with distended throat and up- 

 raised crest he pours out a torrent of sweet song, capti- 

 vates you at once, and makes you a sharer of his joy. 

 To me the Yorkshire birds always seem deficient in these 

 points, and give you an idea of a steady, dull plodding 

 man, very excellent in his way, but never electrifying 

 you with the brilliancy of his thoughts, or thrilling you 

 with the fiery energy of his action. This, however, may 

 be mere fancy on my part, but so it is. I admit being 

 partial to colour and vivacity of action, whether it be 

 found in fish, flesh, or fowl. Being more accustomed to 

 the golden yellow of the south-eastern counties, I may be 

 no impartial witness in the matter ; but, however this 

 may be, still I say " the yellow-haired laddie " for 

 me ! 



The breeding of canaries by the working classes 

 in the manufacturing districts we have named is 

 not only a very favorite pursuit, but a very profit- 

 able trade. The numbers which they annually breed, 

 and the prices which they will give for a good 

 canary, will appear fabulous, and altogether unjusti- 

 fiable, to those unacquainted with the subject. Our 

 artisans in Manchester think nothing of giving one, 

 two, and three pounds for a single bird. On a 

 Saturday afternoon and night the market and shops, 

 as well as the public-houses used for the purpose, 

 are crowded with men and lads, having either birds 

 to sell, or looking on and watching what is going 

 on around them. The veriest tyro in the business 

 thinks as little of giving five or ten shillings for a 



