FOREWORD 



At the request of a number of friends I have undertaken 

 the work of writing this book, which is the most am- 

 bitious of my works on Canaries. At the moment there 

 is no work which covers the ground I have attempted 

 to cover, and there is no work that is so up-to-date. 



The Canary Fancy is progressive, and all the large 

 works hitherto written are now out of date, and so far 

 as I know are also out of print, thus " Canaries " is the 

 only work that comes to aid the breeder when he has 

 advanced beyond the stages when a small initiatory hand- 

 book is a help and guide. 



It is only because of the encouragement given me by 

 the manner in which my fellow fanciers have received my 

 previous efforts as an author that I have undertaken 

 this work. In sending it forth I am conscious of its many 

 failings, but, in the space allotted to me, I have tried to 

 do my best, and I can only hope that what I have done 

 will help many young fanciers to attain success. From 

 my many friends in the Fancy I would ask that they extend 

 to " Canaries " the same appreciation they have given 

 to my more humble efforts to help the Fancy forward. 



C. A. House. 

 London, October, 1923. 



