304 The Canary Book. 



ever been bred by any fancier. Some years ago I made this 

 variety of bird my especial study, and I bred some of the 

 most perfectly marked birds I have ever seen, and some of 

 them were never beaten when exhibited in the best of company. 

 It is rare to get the eye-markings nearly equal, and in the 

 wings there will generally be found one or two more dark 

 feathers in one wing than in the other, and one or two white 

 feathers mixed up with the dark, or a few dark feathers in 

 the saddle near the junction of the wings may occasionally 

 be found just above the rump, or on the rump, vent, or 

 thighs. These blemishes do not entitle the birds to be shown 

 in any other class than the one for the evenly-marked, and 

 when allowed to remain they count as points against them"? 

 but I am sorry to say many exhibitors manipulate birds 

 showing such blemishes to a considerable extent. It is not 

 uncommon for an otherwise perfect bird to have a few dark 

 feathers at the butts of the wings, which is a great blemish, 

 and when judging a class of this sort I have frequently had 

 to disqualify birds for being " faked " (trimmed) many of 

 them even by some of our most successful exhibitors. I need 

 not say that the practice is a dishonest one and a robbery 

 from honest fanciers. 



WHAT is A VARIEGATED BIRD? This is another bone of con- 

 tention among fanciers, but' one that is not, in my opinionj 

 difficult to settle. A variegated bird is simply a bird diversified 

 in colour, and whether these colours appear in the shape of 

 even- or uneven-marking, it is to all intents and purposes a 

 bird diversified in colour, .and consequently a variegated bird. 

 You cannot go beyond the definitions given by the compilers 

 of our dictionaries. I am aware that many bird fanciers do 

 not regard an evenly-marked bird as a variegated bird, but 

 it is so nevertheless. To prevent any misunderstanding, the 

 Committees of Shows should exercise the utmost care in com- 

 piling their schedules of prizes, and state precisely what variety 

 of birds are intended to be allowed to compete in certain classes, 

 and this should be done in the clearest manner possible. The 

 word variegated has proved " misleading to many exhibitors, 



