2 jo The Canary Book. 



there is no better blood to be found to breed from than can be 

 obtained within its precincts. 



When you commence to breed Cinnamon birds, put together, 

 the first year, two pairs of pure bred birds, without spot or 

 blemish, and in no way related to each other; at the same 

 time mate a good jonque Cinnamon cock with a well-bred 

 yellow variegated Norwich Fancy hen, the latter possessing 

 good colour, form, size, and quality, and not too heavily marked, 

 or one pure green, if obtainable. Be sure that the Cinnamon bird 

 used for this cross has been bred from self -coloured birds for at 

 least three generations. From the produce of the last-named 

 pair keep the richest coloured hen, of good size and feather, if 

 not the second best in colour, provided she is best in other 

 respects ; a Cinnamon or Cinnamon variegated bird to be pre- 

 ferred. Second year: Keep the best birds bred from the two 

 pairs of Cinnamons, and cross them together to the best of your 

 judgment ; one pair, however should be buff birds. Purchase a 

 good buff Cinnamon cock of a different strain, and put him with 

 one of the cross bred hens (jonque). Third year : Pair the pro- 

 duce from your pure Cinnamons together again, always keeping 

 the best birds to breed from. These birds will be full cousins, 

 but it is necessary to breed them a little akin occasionally, as it 

 keeps the blood pure. Take a young cock, bred from two pure- 

 bred buffs, and put with the best jonque hen bred from the other 

 pair containing the Norwich cross. Fourth year: Introduce 

 new blood by pairing a pure Cinnamon bird with the best bird 

 bred from your own breed of Cinnamons, and another with the 

 best bird from the other pair, which will now be almost pure 

 again. The following year mate the produce from the two last 

 named pairs, and you will find the colour perceptibly improved. 

 Continue the same process, introducing the Norwich cross every 

 third or fourth year ; by this means you will vastly increase the 

 colour of your birds without detracting from their other qualities. 



Avoid breeding from pied birds as much, as possible, but a 

 single white feather, or even two, in the tail of a bird, if good in 

 all other points, is not a serious objection ; at the same time, it 

 is commendable to avoid it as much as you can, as the defect ia 

 very likely to be perpetuated if too much use is made of birds 



