96 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



As there is a steady demand for singing Canaries, they 

 are profitable to breed. The large English birds fetch 

 good prices, up to twenty rupees, whereas a Chinese song- 

 ster can be got for five or less. I should advise anyone 

 who wishes to go in for breeding Canaries in India to get 

 some fine English birds and cross them with Chinese hens, 

 mating the best of the hens thus bred back to the English 

 stock, though not of course to their own parents. In this 

 way a good strain could be started at small expense. 



If crested birds are obtained, two must not be mated 

 together, or the offspring, strangely enough, will have bad 

 crests; instead, a crested bird should be mated to a "crest- 

 bred " one, that is, a plain-headed bird whose mother or 

 father had a crest. It must also be remembered, in dealing 

 with crested birds, that they often cannot see very well on 

 account of the crest. Desirable as bright colour is, also, it 

 will not do to pair "yellows" together, as if these bright 

 specimens are mated, the offspring becomes lamentably 

 scanty in feather. The proper mate for the bright yellow 

 is the paler yellow or ' 'buff," which has a thicker plumage. 



Of the English breeds of Canaries the Norwich is about 

 the best for general purposes. It is of good colour and 

 large size, with no marked peculiarity of shape. It may be 

 yellow or pied, and plain-headed or crested. The Border 

 Fancy is. a similar breed, but quite small in size. 



The Lancashire Coppy is a very large breed, of which 

 the prize specimens are crested. 



The Belgian is a plain-headed breed, long and slender 

 in shape,; with a very long neck and high shoulders, the 

 head being carried low. 



