CHAPTER XXII. 



THE BORDER FANCY. 



THIS bird is also known by the name of the " Cumberland 

 Fancy," and in some parts as the " Common Canary." It is 

 an old variety regenerated and given a new name, but by care- 

 ful cultivation and the admixture of foreign blood such as 

 Norwich and Yorkshire it has been greatly improved, and is 

 deserving of a better title than that of the " Common Canary." 

 The Border Fancy Canary is a small but rather neat-look- 

 ing bird, light in build, short in length of body, and very tight 

 in feather, which gives it a smart, bright, active, and compact 

 appearance. It should be well-proportioned, and in fact look 

 something like a diminutive specimen of a good Yorkshire 

 canary. The head is small and round, with neat well-formed 

 cheeks, as if chiselled; the beak should be small and slender, 

 the neck thin, the back well filled and level in appearance, 

 the chest neat and round, but not heavy looking; legs pro- 

 portionate to the body, and to show very little thigh when 

 standing in show position ; the wings must be tight and close- 

 fitting to the body, level, and must meet at the tips ; the tail 

 must be neat, close, and compact, and somewhat round, re- 

 sembling the shank of a pipe not fish-tailed ; length of bird, 

 5in. to 5|in. ; position inclined to be more erect than other- 

 wise, the head being elevated, and the line from back of 

 head to tail should form a rather acute angle. The colour 

 must be soft and delicate; artificial colour, produced by 

 jeeding during the process of the moult is altogether ignored 



