THE ROLLER CANARY 107 
if it is in the tutor. It is the same with sharp flutes, 
but they do not always—far from it—bring them as 
badly as they may be in the tutor. 
THEY DO NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW. THEIR TUTOR 
If you train with a bird that has perfect bell, or even 
no bell at all, you will find a big proportion of the young 
come out with sharp bell; and though your tutor may 
have perfect, or nearly perfect, flutes, some of the young 
will take them higher and sharper. I have proved again 
and again that if you train with a bird that sings no bell 
tour, though the young will develop bell, sharp some- 
times, in the training, they will gradually drop it when 
their song matures, because not hearing the tutor follow 
them, as it were, they begin to follow him. I have 
found the same thing apply to sharp flutes, when 
developed in the young, and no sharp flutes in the 
tutor bird. 
As so many youngsters develop faults even if the 
tutor does not possess them, is it worth while to put 
down your champion because he has one fault in his 
song? For though the pupils may copy his fault, more 
or less, they will also copy his virtues; and if you use 
instead that second-rater, passed as “‘ pure,’’ you may find 
yourself still with the fault and lacking the virtues at 
the same time. 
The most successful breeder of Rollers in this country 
once said to me:—‘‘ What I look for in a tutor are 
variety, depth, power of tone, and one little fault I never 
mind.” After some years’ experience, I don’t think | 
can give the Roller novices any better advice. 
