THE BORDER FANCY 231 



The Border Fancy Club was formed, and the northern 

 hons and southern lambs lay down together ; peace, unity 

 and concord were established, the breed under its most 

 appropriate name went forward, and from that day to 

 this has never looked back. At the moment it is popular 

 in all parts of Great Britain, and in some districts is the 

 leading variety, even in distant Wales, and the South and 

 West of England. 



Two Distinct Types. 



In the early days there were two distinct types. One 

 was a low, squatty, angular sort of bird, which was known 

 as " the thumb-shape," because of its resemblance to the 

 top part of a man's thumb. This sort the Cumberland 

 men would not have. They said, away with them, and 

 away they went. They put forward a claim for a bird of 

 grace and style. Their views prevailed, and the Border 

 as a standard breed was established as a bird about five 

 and a half inches in length, and as close in feather as 

 waxwork ; head small, neat, and beautifully round ; 

 wings carried close to the body as if never intended to 

 open, and meeting evenly at the tips without the slightest 

 appearance of crossing ; tail of fair length, the feathers 

 knit closely together ; legs of fair length, but must show 

 no thigh ; it must stand well up, straight as a rush, easy 

 and graceful, yet noble and majestic, bold and courageous, 

 yet calm and refined ; it must hop from perch to perch 

 with becoming sprightliness. This was the ideal and the 

 breeders soon produced birds approaching it. 



The low squatty birds had to go, so had the long thin 

 ones, of which there were plenty, especially in the West 

 of England, in which district the birds were not so close 

 in feather as in the North. The bird as adopted resembles 

 the Yorkshire more than any other breed, standing well 

 up on the perch, holding its head proudly aloft with 

 characteristic independence, with a beautiful expression, 

 which only breeding in one direction can accomplish. 

 It is essentially a bird of quality, colour not being one of 

 its strong points. "Colour," say the Border men, " is all 

 very well and charming for those who like it, but we want 

 type, style and quality of feather." 



