CHAPTER IX 

 THE SCOTS FANCY 



A Breed of Changed Characteristics 



There is no breed of canary that has so changed in its 

 characteristics as the Scots Fancy. When I entered the 

 fancy in the late 'seventies it was what was generally 

 styled the " bird of circle," There has been very little 

 circle about it during the last fifteen years. As I first 

 remember it the Scots Fancy, or, as it was so often called 

 the Glasgow Don, was in shape very like a half-moon, 

 and in those days practically the whole of the canary 

 Fancy in Scotland was confined to the breeding of the 

 national bird. Show after show in those days had classes 

 only for the bird of the country. Gradually the Belgian 

 made an inroad upon the Scottish preserves, then the 

 Norwich (at first in the northern districts, later the west, 

 and then it spread over the whole country), whilst it 

 was not until the present century was well open that the 

 Yorkshire had any sensible recognition from the breeders 

 of canaries in Scotland. To-day, however, the York- 

 shire is probably the most popular after the bird of the 

 country. We all know how clannish the Scots are, and, 

 in so far as canary breeding is concerned, their conservatism 

 completely ruled the Fancy until within the three last 

 decades. In olden times the Scottish breeders thought 

 little or nothing of any breed except the Scots Fancy, 

 and it was kept closely to the old half -moon type. Really 

 wonderful was the hold the bird had upon the canary 

 breeders of the country and classes of fifty and sixty 

 were of quite common occurrence. 



142 



