THE LANCASHIRE 175 



Never a Popular Breed. 



Never a popular breed in the wide sense of the word, 

 it has since the Great War suffered still greater diminution 

 of its sway in its own county. Rochdale and Oldham, 

 ever the two great strongholds of breeders, seem to have 

 lost their love for the canary, and no longer do they run 

 the big open shows that they used to do. Few shows 

 now give classes for the Lancashire, and those that do 

 have cut them down from a dozen or sixteen to two or 

 four. I have seen in Rochdale and Oldham as many 

 as twenty classes in a show, some of them with over 

 thirty entries each and to think that to-day neither 

 boasts an open show is saddening. Again in the society 

 members' shows of those to\vns I have knowledge of the 

 time when there would be a score of classes for Lancashires, 

 and all other breeds except the Lizards catered for in one 

 class only. — A.O.V. To-day what does one see in these 

 same Society shows — more classes for Yorkshires and 

 Norwich than there are for Lancashires and Lizards. 

 What such old stalwarts as James Fielding, Abraham 

 Hamer, Levi Robinson, Ben Turner, Ben Viles, John 

 Wright, Levi Butterworth, Robert Barrass, and other 

 breeders of thirty to fifty years ago would say could 

 they but see how their loved breed has deteriorated I 

 cannot conceive, any more than I can with assurance 

 give a reason why the breed has declined. 



The Lancashire is a bird of distinctive character, and 

 one would have thought that alone would have kept 

 it popular, but it has not. The chief reason why it has 

 declined is doubtless due to the fact that Lancashire 

 breeders have not moved with the times. They have not 

 supported shows outside the home area, the birds have 

 seldom been seen outside their own county, consequently 

 sales have been few, and in face of the enthusiastic 

 manner in which such breeds as Yorkshires and Norwich 

 have been pushed the Lancashire has had to go to the 

 wall, because its breeders did not advertise its merits, 

 and make the Fancy appreciate them. 



What is wanted in the Lancashire. 



The Lancashire canary is a large, massive bird, and well 

 merits its title as the " Canary Giant." In length it is 



