CHAPTER XIV 



THE NORWICH PLAINHEAD 



The Most Popular of all Colour Breeds 



Forty years ago the Norwich Plainhead was the most 

 popular of all canaries. It runs a close race with the 

 Yorkshire even now, and it is a moot point which of the 

 two has the largest following. What changes have I 

 seen in Norwich ! I first remember it as a small bird 

 about the size of a Border Fancy, the regulation length 

 being 5 to 5| inches ; its coat was fine and tight, and 

 shone like silk. I have seen it go through the wars that 

 have waged over K.N. -fed, Non-K.N.-fed, Natural Colour, 

 and Open Colour, Flighted, and Non-Flighted, also the 

 great length question and type. 



Thirty-five to forty years ago the Norwich Fancy was 

 lively indeed. When exhibiting one never knew if his 

 Natural Colour birds would be disqualified or given the 

 highest position. I have had birds win first at one show 

 and be disqualified the next. One or two judges would 

 have colour, whilst others barred it sternly. Some wanted 

 the K.N. -fed birds as red as tomatoes, and the " Natural 

 Colour " ones without scarcely a vestige of colour. I 

 have had birds disqualified as not being " Natural Colour " 

 that had not had a particle of colour food. 



Exhibiting was a funny game in those days, and 

 controversy waxed hot and strong and frequent. Yet 

 the popularity of the bird never suffered, and none 

 other came near it in the estimation of the fancy. It 

 is only since all the fighting and squabbling over type 

 and colour ceased and the fancy took the line of least 

 resistance that its supremacy has been shaken by the 

 Yorkshire. 



In my early days our leading authorities were Blakston 



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