The Belgian. 227 



after is occasionally to be found, and when it is, we should do 

 all we can to show our appreciation of its many excellent 

 qualities. A very little matter will often disfigure what would 

 otherwise be regarded as a good specimen of a Belgian canary. 

 Take, for example, a long fine bird, with a sleek flat head, long 

 slender neck, well developed shoulders, and short legs those 

 known as " sickle legged " (hook-shaped) ; this alone would pre- 

 vent the bird from assuming that position which is regarded by 

 all connoisseurs as the true line of beauty, and, consequently, its 

 other grand qualities would be seriously counterbalanced by this 

 great drawback. 



STANDARD OP EXCELLENCE. In adopting a standard of 

 points for judging canaries, I think I cannot do better than 

 follow the plan pursued by the Americans, and that is, to 

 give the maximum of perfection as representing one hundred 

 points, as by the application of this method any person will 

 be enabled to compute the relative value of each individual 

 feature separately : 



STANDARD FOR JUDGING CLEAR BELGIAN CANARIES. 



Head 6, Neck 7, Shoulders 10 23 



Back 10, Chest 5, Waist 6 21 



Legs 8. Tail 6, Wings 4 18 



Size 7. Colour 3, Quality of Feathers 3 13 



Contour or Position 15 



Condition 10 



Total 100 



In judging marked birds I would allow ten points for mark- 

 ings ; and, as no bird is perfect, a good margin will always be 

 left to work upon ; consequently it is not necessary to give 

 another table merely to distinguish the single difference, as in 

 all other respects the one already given is equally applicable to 

 the variegated birds as it is to the clear varieties. 



PREPARING BIRDS FOR EXHIBITION. If you are the fortu- 

 nate possessor of exhibition birds, and you wish to introduce 

 them to the public in that character, it will be necessary for you 

 to prepare them for their debut. 



You must commence, about three weeks or a month prior to 

 the first show at which you have resolved to give them a " run," 



