232 CANARIES 



No Colour-Feeding. 



The Border Fancy Club years ago decided that all 

 the birds shown at its shows should be " natural colour," 

 and many birds, good ones, too, have suffered disquali- 

 fication because the judges have held they had tasted 

 the " forbidden fruit." This has caused much discussion 

 from time to time, also heart-burning, because high- 

 coloured birds that had not been fed were disqualified, 

 whilst others which had been given just a bit got through. 

 Naturally every man declares his birds are " natural 

 colour," but very few are shown that have not had some- 

 thing iDeside seed and egg-food. My own opinion is that 

 warm colour such as we see in the Norwich and Yorkshire 

 detracts rather than adds to the attractiveness of the 

 Border. 



Things to be guarded against in Breeding. 



In selecting breeding stock it goes without saying that 

 the nearer the birds approach the standard so much the 

 more valuable are they for breeding, but, as every bird 

 is not a show bird, those that do not quite reach the 

 standard are useful for breeding. There are, however, 

 some faults which should be guarded against, and birds 

 possessing them should not be used unless it is absolutely 

 unavoidable. Amongst such faults are coarse beaks, 

 heavy flat skulls, stout or hollow necks, long or crossed 

 flights, swinging tails, wide-rooted tails, narrow pointed 

 chests, stout heavy bodies, coarse waists, slackness of 

 feather on chest and thighs, too much leg, slovenly car- 

 riage. Birds with any of these faults in an exaggerated 

 form should not be bred with. 



Birds that fail slightly in any point may be used, but in 

 every case weak points should be countered by strong 

 ones. Thus if a cock is a trifle strong he should be 

 paired with a hen full of style, but possibly a trifle fine 

 in neck or body. A cock failing in head should have as 

 his mate a hen exceeding in skull. Never, unless ab- 

 solutely forced, breed with a hen that is either flat, pinched 

 or too stout in skull. If you do, she will nine times out 

 of ten, hand on her faults to her progeny. A hen that 

 fails in colour should be mated to a cock extra rich in 



