The Glasgow Don, or Scotch Fancy. 237 



have a difficulty in forgiving the Scotch fanciers for their utterly 

 ignoring so many of our favourite varieties, and for treating 

 them so ignominiously at most of their shows, never deigning to 

 offer a single prize to any of the numerous classes which are to 

 be found at any of the All England shows. It certainly is a 

 circumstance to be regretted, and we hope that the fanciers at 

 " Auld Reekie " (if at no other town) will so far relax their strin- 

 gency as to offer at least an " Any other Variety of Canary " 

 class at their shows in future.* 



I have tried hard to find out how the Scotch Fancy birds 

 were originated, but the nearest approach that I have been able to 

 make in this direction is to trace them back for a period of fifty- 

 eight years to a breed of birds which, although much smaller in 

 size and less elegant in form than the " Dons " of the present 

 day, were nevertheless possessors of the circular form and the 

 " souple " (supple) tail, which are still the predominating features 

 in this particular variety of canaries; but a great improve- 

 ment has been made in their appearance within the past twenty 

 years, and the " style " of the bird, as it is commonly called, 

 has been materially improved. At one time, if a bird showed the 

 least prominence of shoulder it was regarded as unfit for compe- 

 tition, and a good bird was supposed not to exhibit his thighs 

 when standing in proper position. Now the taste of that period 

 has completely changed, and good prominent, well -filled shoulders 

 are considered an indispensable requisite, and if a bird shows a 

 little thigh it is not considered any detriment, so long as its 

 general contour is correct. 



The old-fashioned Dons appear to have emanated from Glas- 

 gow. One of the oldest and most respected fanciers in Scotlandf 

 informed me that he had known the breed for the past forty- 

 eight years, and described them as " small birds" with " plenty of 

 action," and " cranked necks " and " crooked tails ; " but where 

 the birds really originated, or how they became the possessors of 

 these peculiarities my informant did not say. But this is, it 



* Since the first edition of " The Canary Book " was published, I am pleased to find that 

 some of our Scotch friends have not only given some encouragement to the English 

 varieties at their shows, but I am still further pleased to find ihat some of them 

 now Rfimire and ke>-p, and exhibit, some of these varieties. 



t The late Mr. Robert Forsyth, of Edinburgh, a most honourable and upright man. and 

 respected by all who knew him. 



