278 The Canary Book. 



on the length of this breed, and I think 6^-in., or at the very 

 most 6Mn., should under no circumstances be exceeded, and 

 even then it will take years of judicious breeding to bring up 

 the quality and colour in a bird of these dimensions. This 

 should be accomplished by selection, by breeding from double 

 buffs, and an occasional dip into crested-bred Norwich blood. 

 Green birds should be avoided as much as possible in the 

 attainment of this object, as this shade of colour in a Cinna- 

 mon is most objectionable. It will certainly take a year or 

 two longer to breed up from- clears and Cinnamon variegated 

 birds, but in the end the result will be much more satisfactory. 

 I prefer substance to great length. We want the Cinnamon of 

 the thick, deep-set, bullfinch shape, and not of the thin spare 

 Yorkshire type. 



I would recommend amateurs who desire to attempt to im- 

 prove this variety to first obtain a pair or two of the pure 

 Norwich Cinnamons of the old school, birds that have been 

 bred pure for several generations. Take one pair of these 

 and cross them with a pair of large-crested bred plain-heads. 

 Let them be pure in colour, rich in tone, and fine in feather; 

 big-framed birds, as bulky as possible, but^free from coarseness, 

 and destitute of the overhanging eyebrows, and with thick 

 necks, short legs and tails, but deep broad chests, and wide 

 backs, and good shoulders. Pair a buff Cinnamon cock, of a 

 deep pure colour and level throughout, with a large yellow 

 hen of this kind, and a jonque Cinnamon cock with a buff hen 

 of the character I have described. It is advantageous to use 

 Cinnamon cocks in preference to Cinnamon hens and hens 

 of the crested-bred strain, as the colour is more influenced by 

 using Cinnamon cocks, and the colours obtained in the young 

 are brighter and clearer. Select from the offspring of these 

 the clear birds with pink eyes and the Cinnamon variegated 

 hens, and cross these again with Cinnamon cocks bred from 

 a pure strain, putting a buff and jonque together as before. 

 From this second cross there should be some nice Cinnamons. 

 Put a cock of this cross with a Cinnamon variegated hen 

 bred from the first cross, and another with a pure Cinnamon, 



