The Belgian. 215 



me from having it, and said he was sure there was " something 

 wrong with its back." Nevertheless, I had a fancy for it, 

 whether it was maimed or not, and said I would purchase it if 

 it was not a very expensive bird, as I was not sure then but 

 it might possibly be deformed, and consequently of little value. 

 He said I might have it for 7s., and I accepted the offer at once ; 

 after I got it home and compared it with my other birds, it 

 occurred to me that this was the " Simon Pure " of a Belgian 

 canary, and the next time I was in town I told him I should like 

 a few more of the same shape, and gave him my opinion respect- 

 ing it; he smiled quietly, but very significantly, but this did not 

 alter my opinion ; some time afterwards I picked up a buff cock 

 similar in shape, but not nearly so good as the hen. 



About this time a gentleman with whom I was acquainted 

 commenced to keep birds ; he was a manufacturer, and exported 

 goods to Belgium. I suggested to him that it would be a good 

 plan if he were to commission his agents in Antwerp to procure 

 for him a pair or two of the best Belgian canaries they could 

 obtain, and to instruct them to employ some well-known fancier 

 to select the birds ; and f urthermore to send the kind that was 

 most highly esteemed in that country. He adopted my sugges- 

 tion, and in due time four birds arrived, and they proved to be 

 the very identical counterparts of my "deformed" hen. The 

 agent* wrote to say that they were of the best and most highly- 

 prized strains, $nd were much dearer than the birds usually sold 

 for exportation. This settled the matter at once, and I was 

 greatly pleased with the discovery ; the cross breeds soon gave 

 way to the thoroughbreds, and I had numerous applications for 

 the progeny of my "crooked backed" birds, as they were fre- 

 quently designated. Three or four years after this some of our 

 most ardent fanciers ventured across the Channel and selected 

 their own stock, and the best birds I have ever seen have 

 been imported birds. 



IMPORTING BIRDS. It is not a long journey neither is it a 

 very expensive one, so that anyone wishing to obtain high-class 

 stock would do well to take a trip to the Continent; those desirous 

 of doing so can embark either at Hull or London. A boat leaves 

 Hull for Antwerp every Wednesday, and returns the Saturday 



