196 CANARIES 



mouth, was a great breeder of these gems, others I recall — 

 Tom Crossley, of Kendal ; J. North, of Stockbridge ; St. 

 Leo Smith and J. H. Scothern, both of Nottingham, 

 W. Bowyer, of Leek ; W. Radmore, Kent and Langman, 

 Halse Bros., and J. Findlay, of Plymouth. 



In the breeding of Evenly-marked Dark Crests one 

 would have to use Clear Body Dark Crests, Unevenly- 

 marked Crests, also Evenly-marked. The great thing 

 to avoid would be the mating of birds variegated about 

 the body, or of two birds both with well-marked wings. 

 If marked birds are paired together they should always 

 incline more to being lightly marked than heavily 

 marked, in fact, it is wise never to pair together two 

 birds both marked in wings. Generally speaking, an 

 evenly-marked bird should be paired to a clear-bodied 

 bird, or one very lightly marked. Once a strain is es- 

 tablished one can do many things that are quite im- 

 possible with strange blood, and it may be possible to 

 pair together two evenly-marked birds and secure birds 

 not too heavy in marking, and in the same way two 

 very lightly-marked birds might be relied upon to produce 

 almost perfectly-marked birds. 



At the start I should advise the mating of Clear Body 

 Crests, either Clear or Dark Crested, with wing marked 

 Crest-breds, and Clear and Dark-capped Clear Body 

 Crest-breds with wing marked Crests. Careful selection 

 would have to be made of the progeny, guided by how 

 the initial pairs produced markings. Clear Bodied and 

 Lightly-marked birds only should be used at first. The 

 Crests of to-day are so full of dark blood that it is far 

 easier to produce heavily variegated and green birds 

 than it is anything else. 



Those who set out to breed Clear Body Crests, and 

 Evenly-marked Crests have a difficult and uphill task, one 

 that will exercise all their patience, knowledge, and in- 

 genuity, but the result will well repay them. That is if 

 they are true fanciers. 



What the Crest Club should do. 



If the Crested Canary Club would only instruct its 

 judges to pay more attention to quality of feather and 



