THE CANARY. 295 



and wing feathers will be wanting. A curious example of this 

 kind appeared in a bird of our acquaintance. This specimen had 

 failed to develop more than one single feather, the remainder 

 of its body appearing like the scanty plumage of a Friesland hen. 

 It was the habit of this odd bird to toy with the solitary feather 

 which constituted its caudal appendage, by drawing it through 

 its beak until it became quite curled up by such manipulation. 

 The above propensity to make both ends meet is not an uncom- 

 mon vice among better fledged birds ; and it is the practice of 

 attentive breeders to prevent it, by hanging a piece of string from 

 the top of the cage, in order to divert the notice of his restless 

 charge. 



" The hen Canary produces on an average four nests annually. 

 The number of thirty-eight birds have been bred from two pair 

 of birds, and the produce of one cock and two hens has been 

 known to amount to as many as forty ; but these are extraordi- 

 nary instances. However, the many casualties to which the 

 young birds are liable operates as an effective check to their in- 

 crease, and the breeder is considered to do well who produces 

 half-a-dozen male birds of each sort in the year." 



It appears that Canary Societies have existed in this country 

 for upwards of a century, although there is no account of their 

 origin and progress until within the last fifty years. We quite 

 agree with the writer above quoted, that "it is much to be re- 

 gretted that such societies have not preserved any connected re- 

 cord of their transactions, together with some account of their 

 observations upon the progressive changes which their exertions 

 have effected upon the appearance of the bird." 



The amount of the prizes offered by these societies appears to 

 vary in accordance with the number of the members : the prizes 

 are generally ten in number, and are appropriated to the five best 

 birds in degree of each favourite kind, viz. the Mealy and the 

 Jonquil. The principal shows are held in London, at the latter 

 end of each year. The specifications above laid down form the 

 leading features of excellence, but it is generally the custom of 

 the societies to produce, or describe, a model bird at one show, and 

 award the prizes to those exhibitors, who at the next produce 

 birds which most closely resemble it. 



Besides the different varieties of which we have already spoken, 

 there is a rare one, much admired, called the Cinnamon Canary, 

 of which the Norwich weavers are the principal producers ; it is 

 to this class of men, as to those who follow similar occupations 

 in Germany and elsewhere, that we are indebted for the finest 

 of our trained singing birds, and careful and experienced trainers 

 will often make very considerable sums by this mode of occupying 



