54 The Canary. 



wanted as a mate for our bachelor " Dandy." She was 

 i beautiful dark grass-green, with well-defined clear 

 black markings down the back, and without a white 

 feather about her at the time. I say at the time em- 

 phatically, for I afterwards discovered one had been 

 plucked from her tail by the crafty German, in order to 

 enhance her value in the eyes of an unwary purchaser. 

 This trick is a very common one, I believe, with low, 

 unprincipled dealers, who besides often paint their 

 birds into the bargain, so that it requires a very prac- 

 tised eye to detect the imposition. In London, I am 

 told, this very reprehensible practice is carried to a great 

 extent, even by dealers of long standing and position, 

 and who would be very much surprised and highly 

 indignant if they were told they were neither honest 

 nor respectable ! Yet such is the fact, and I mention 

 it, not only to put the unwary on their guard, but to 

 call the attention of such dealers and the public to the 

 subject, that the one may be ashamed of its publicity, 

 and the other exercise its power to put it down. 



But to return. The bird before us, besides being 

 suitable for our purpose as regarded her colour, was 

 equally so in point of breeding and shape. Like that 

 of her destined lord, the elegance of her figure, the 

 fineness of her head, and the length of her body, 

 bespoke at once her alliance to the Belgian strain. She, 

 however, looked languid and drooping, which, though 

 I knew was the effect of the high temperature of the 

 room, still made me hesitate about her purchase. It 

 was in vain that they assured me in the shop she was 

 quite well and in perfect health, for my eyes told me at 



