THE CRESTED NORWICH 199 



the brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, of noted birds. 

 Further, I advise that the stock be all purchased from 

 one breeder. Fresh blood can be introduced after the 

 purchaser has done a little breeding on his own account. 

 Many pay high prices for exhibition stock and pair them up 

 thinking that they will get some wonderful youngsters. 

 They should not forget that show birds purchased at 

 haphazard very rarely produce show birds. This is a fact 

 that can be verified by all who have made a careful study 

 of Canary breeding. The champions so purchased do 

 occasionally throw a bird that is fit to follow in its parents' 

 footsteps, but very rarely. On the other hand progeny 

 of the best birds carefully mated with other birds of the 

 same strain often produce magnificent specimens, and it 

 will generally be found, on tracing the pedigree of the 

 best birds that they were bred from the relatives of noted 

 winners, and very seldom from the cracks themselves. 

 In starting a strain it is always the best plan to start 

 by purchasing birds from some noted amateur breeder, 

 and getting full particulars as to their pedigree. 



In an estabhshed stud we must mate together the very 

 best Crest and Crest-bred in the room, that is if they are 

 suitable. I will explain. We will suppose that the best Crest 

 in the stud is a variegated cock. A good all-round bird, 

 but its failing is a tendency to run thin, or possibly 

 narrow, in front. The mate for such a bird would be the 

 best Crest-bred show hen in the stud, because nine times 

 out of ten she would have a strong front, but if it should so 

 happen that she failed in front then she would not do 

 as a mate for the best Crest cock, and we should have 

 to find a hen that was extra good in front, even if she 

 had some other fault. A Crest cock or hen that was 

 good otherwise, but pinched in back or crest would have 

 to be mated to a Crest-bred excelling in back skull, and 

 also very heavily feathered. Body properties and feather 

 should also be considered in the same manner, and two 

 birds slack and loose in feather should not be mated 

 together, nor should two birds that were long or shallow 

 in body. In each case the mates selected should excel in 

 the property in which the other failed. A Crest that was 

 otherwise good but was inchned to lift should be mated to a 

 Crest-bred with a very densely feathered bird with 

 good shape of skull, and bred from a bird that was as 



