296 The Canary Book. 



wing-markings even, a bird of this sort presents a very attractive 

 appearance, and has a host of admirers. Next to a bird marked 

 as described, I should prefer one with dark cap, eye-markings, 

 and wing-uiarkings, or one with evenly -marked wings and eyes, 

 and one dark feather in the tail, and next to these, a bird with 

 one eye mark and evenly marked wing, Colour and quality, 

 however, in this class of birds are indispensably requisite. 



The principal features which entitle Evenly -mar Iced Norwich 

 canaries to the distinguished position which they hold are their 

 gorgeous colours and regular and artistic markings, but more 

 especially the latter, as they are most difficult to obtain, even 

 to an approximation of the criterion of excellence. 



The first and most important of the markings in the evenly- 

 marked birds are those of the wings. A bird may have two, 

 four, five, seven, or any similar number of dark feathers in each 

 wing, or it may have five in one wing and seven in the other, or 

 any similar or other number, and still be considered a legitimate 

 candidate for this class, so long as the wings appear even to the 

 unaided eye ; but a bird so marked will show to disadvantage if 

 shown against a bird with perfect wing markings that is to say, 

 if a judge is careful, and handles the birds when performing his 

 judicial functions, which too many of them neglect to do. There 

 are very few birds perfect in this respect, even among those 

 which figure prominently as winners at our best shows. Some 

 judges prefer a bird lightly marked in the wings ; others, again, 

 prefer them heavily marked rather than otherwise ; but a bird 

 with the first nine pinion feathers white, and the remaining nine, 

 or the secondary pinions, black, corresponding exactly on each 

 side, is, without doubt, the most perfect of all, and those nearest 

 to this standard come next. Many birds, and birds of great 

 merit, too, very frequently are possessed of a " mixed " wing, 

 that is, one or two white feathers intermixed with the black ones 

 or vice versa ; both are regarded as grave faults, but more 

 particularly the latter, as it is more readily detected by the 

 naked eye. 



The next markings of importance are those of the eye. Some 

 birds are pencilled in front of the eyes only, and others behind 

 the eyes, whilst others again are pencilled both in front of and 



