THE CANARY. 293 



of a greenish bronze throughout, excepting the upper part of the 

 head, which is covered by a patch of clear yellow, and this variety 

 is looked upon as the nearest of kin to the original stock. " The 

 back," according to a recent writer on prize Canaries,* "being 

 marked with spangles in uniform stripes, corresponding with the 

 trapezins, is an indication of the primitive state, the unsophis- 

 ticated produce of nature being precise and geometrical." 



Of the last named of these varieties, the genuine Lizard, we 

 may remark, that it is a very beautiful bird, and highly valued, 

 especially by the weavers of Nottingham, who produce some of 

 the best specimens ; it is not, however, considered a regular prize 

 bird, that honour being reserved for the varieties called the Mealy 

 Birds and Jonquils, to which we shall presently more fully allude. 

 In support of the opinion that the Lizard approaches most 

 nearly to the primitive type, it is stated by the authority above 

 quoted, that " the prize birds, previous to the first moulting, 

 appear in a plumage nearly similar to that of the Lizard, the only 

 difference being, that the young birds are of a brownish hue, 

 while the green coat of the Lizard is set off by a gloss of fine 

 grey, similar to the effect of light upon an antique bronze. The 

 legs of the prize bird are likewise represented by those of the 

 Lizard, as they continue of a dark colour." The Spangled- 

 Back, of which we next speak, was a great favourite with the 

 " fancy" some twenty years ago, but is not now thought so much 

 of, although it still has its admirers. In its plumage we see the 

 same process with regard to the markings as were noticed in the 

 Lizard, but much more broken up and diversified ; "an evident 

 sign," says our authority, " of degeneration." Among the canons 

 of criticism adopted by the Canary societies, we find the follow-, 

 ing : " No bird shall be considered a fair show-bird that has a 

 feather or feathers without black, in stalk or web, on the flight or 

 tail feathers ; or that has less than eighteen flying feathers in 

 each wing, and twelve in the tail." Next to the perfection of 

 wings and tail, these being defined by their black feathers 

 forming a clear " saddle," or absolute separation of colour from 

 the wing coverts the qualities which entitle show-birds to notice 

 are as follows : 



The Jonquil, as its name denotes, is required to be of a pure 

 deep yellow, entirely free from any green tinge ; the colour is 

 deeper on the cap over the eyes, and on the scapulars. 



In the Mealy-bird, the golden plumage of back, breast, and 

 head, appear frosted over, or powdered, through the small 

 feathers, thus producing a whitish edge. In both of these varieties 

 the purity of development is the criterion of excellence, and the first 



* See Illustrated News, Dec. 12, 1846. 



