The Modern Crested Norwich. 327 



of good shape and quality, but not profuse, that would be 

 passed by or receive a simple H.C. or V.H.C. card. This is 

 too bad, and ought not to be. I have frequently been struck 

 in looking over the prize-winners at a show to find how widely 

 divergent in type and quality the first, second, and third prize- 

 winners often are, even in the same class, and I have heard 

 young fanciers say, " How are we to know what to breed to 

 when the judges themselves don't seem to know?" and I 

 think they were quite justified in their remarks. This some- 

 times happens for want of an extended classification, which, I 

 think, in the case of crested birds, might be made at many 

 shows with beneficial results. There ought to be a class for 

 clear bodies and dark crests, another for evenly-marked and 

 crested, a third for unevenly-marked and crested, and a fourth 

 for any other variety of crest. At all shows this could not 

 be expected, but it might be carried out at the largest and 

 best of them, and I think it would be a means of preventing 

 degeneracy in quality and type. If things continue as they 

 have of late the present title of Norwich will have to be modi- 

 fied or altered, in which case I would suggest that the word 

 Norwich be expunged, and that the following classification be 

 substituted : Dark-crested canary (clear body) ; evenly-marked 

 and crested canary ; unevenly-marked and crested canary ; 

 any other variety of crested canary. This arrangement 

 would clear the way for amateurs, and give breeders the oppor- 

 tunity of gratifying their various humours as to size, type, &c., 

 and the judges would hold a free hand to deal with them as 

 they think proper. I am, of course, opposed to such a change, 

 but I think it high time something was done one way or the 

 other. 



I have frequently been amused to find a bird entered in an 

 " Any other variety class " as a " First cross Coppy and Norwich," 

 whereas at the same show there have been birds, and some 

 of them prize winners, exhibited in the Norwich classes, that 

 were fully three-parts bred Coppies. It is too funny to con- 

 template, far too funny, by half. Open the gates by all means, 

 if fanciers cannot agree to a standard type, and let the birds 



