The Norwich Fancy. 297 



behind the eyes, which is preferable to being marked on one side 

 of each eye only ; but the most approved and perfect eye- 

 markings are those which encircle the eye completely, and these 

 are known as " spectacle " eye-marks ; they should not be either 

 too large or too small, but proportionate with the size of .the 

 bird, and in keeping with the wing-markings ; when well formed 

 they ought to be elliptic, or egg-shaped. 



Symmetry in marking is an important consideration, and one 

 which is too frequently overlooked or ignored. The other 

 recognised markings are one or two dark feathers on each side 

 of the tail; but these must be the extreme outside feathers, 

 and none others. Such markings maybe regarded as doubtful 

 acquisitions, although a few of the " old school " profess to 

 cherish a liking for them. Nevertheless, there can be no 

 question that a perfectly " four-marked " bird is the beau ideal of 

 a bird of this variety I mean a bird with good wing and eye 

 markings, and a clear tail. " Two-marked " birds may be 

 possessed of wing markings only, or of eye-markings only, with 

 a clear body, but a bird having a clear body and a dark feather 

 on each side of the tail only, is not so recognised. Many good 

 judges prefer a bird with evenly-marked wings and a clear body 

 to a " six-marked " bird, as they look upon the tail markings as 

 a detraction and not as an embellishment, but those with eye- 

 markings only are the least valued of all except for mule 

 breeding. 



It will be found, on closely examining an evenly-marked bird, 

 that its eye-markings do not exactly correspond; at least, I 

 never saw one with both eye-markings precisely alike, and I have 

 scrutinised hundreds. Those birds with eye-markings most 

 closely resembling each other are to be preferred. A good 

 saddle is an indispensable requisite to an evenly-marked bird, 

 and a point deserving of attentive consideration, as a finely 

 formed, full, flowing saddle greatly enhances the appearance of 

 the wing- markings. Some fanciers term evenly-marked wings 

 V shaped, but I fail to see the force of this, as a V is much 

 thicker on one side than the other, and therefore, a bird to be 

 V wing-marked must have one wing more heavily-marked than 

 the other, hence it would not be even. 



