220 CANARIES 



and also destroys the boldness of the spanghng. A very 

 essential point is to see that your breeding stock is sound 

 in colour on the shoulders, and the more spangle there is 

 on the shoulder the better. In the same way select 

 birds which have plenty of work on the sides of the body. 

 Spangling is more easily lost than it is improved, so be 

 strong in selecting plenty of spangle in your breeding 

 stock. Clear-capped birds — that is those with perfect- 

 shaped caps — may be mated to those that are broken- 

 capped. Self or no-capped birds mated to birds that are 

 over-capped — that is those in which the cap runs into 

 the neck — will often throw perfectly capped progeny. 

 Broken-capped birds — that is those in which the dark 

 colour encroaches on the cap — are most useful, as they 

 will keep the balance in the matter of caps. If you breed 

 continuously from clear-caps you will surely get many 

 youngsters that are over-capped, bald in face, and possibly 

 pied and grey in wings and tail. 



As a rule the finest examples of spanghng are found in 

 the broken-caps and no-caps. Therefore apart from their 

 influence on the caps such birds are of all birds most 

 valuable to the breeder because by their use he also 

 keeps his spangle and colour properties well up to the 

 standard. The late Sam Bunting, of Derby, who was a 

 hfelong breeder of Lizards, was noted for the spangling 

 seen on his birds, and at a show held at Derby about 

 thirty years ago he exhibited what I consider the most 

 perfectly spangled Lizard I have ever seen. It charmed 

 me so much that I gave it the special for the best Lizard 

 in the show, and no one grumbled. In shape, colour, 

 feather and spangle it was a marvel. That bird I have 

 never forgotten. 



The Standard of Perfection. 



Some years ago, when the Lancashire and Lizard 

 Fanciers' Association drew up the standard, they paid 

 me the compliment of asking me to submit a draft, 

 and this was accepted : — 



Points 



Cap — for size and regularity . . . . 10 



Ground Colour . . . . . . . . 16 



