Yellow and Buff Bred Together. 113 



caps and other matters. And here will be seen the advantage of the plan we have insisted on, 

 of fixing upon the one most important point, whatever "* that may be, and never dropping it. 

 If this plan has been followed, it will be found that we have now — imperfectly, it is true, but 

 still to a very great extent — made it certain already in our new ' strain,' and can, to a moderate 

 degree, without dropping it, already begin to select our birds for other points as well. The 

 next season the proportion of finely-spangled birds will be very large indeed (we will suppose 

 only the perfectly-spangled to be bred from), and there will probably be no difficulty whatever 

 in selecting those which show also other points required." 



In summing up the whole, the writer concludes with the following, which every Canary-breeder 

 should learn by heart : — 



" Every variety has some point or points which demand long breeding and patience to acquire, 

 and on these should attention first be fixed and kept there, gradually giving attention to others, 

 not by turns, but just as fast, and no faster, than the increased number of birds (good in the 

 first point, and therefore admissible to breed from) enables selection for the second and subsequent 

 points to be made. One thing, however, is obvious. The best birds, from the bi-eeding point 

 of view, must never be sold, but kept for the breeding-room ; for a man cannot reasonably be 

 expected to make any marked progress who is constantly selling what represents nearly all 

 the ground he has gained." 



We have quoted largely, and are much indebted to Mr. Wright for permission to handle 

 his material as we have ; but the principles laid down are so sound, so clearly enunciated, 

 so practically demonstrated, and the conclusions to be arrived at are so manifestly within 

 reach, that we think the instructions given cannot be too widely disseminated and commended 

 to the thoughtful consideration of breeders who use their brains. For our own part we 

 think we have acted wisely in borrowing, rather than in trusting ourselves to handle this 

 part of our subject clumsily. 



The first thing to be mentioned in connection with breeding Norwich or any other variety of 

 Canary is that, in pairing, the general rule is to put a Yellow and a Buff together. It is 

 immaterial which sex is the one colour or the other ; but, except under special circumstances, the 

 arrangement must be as we have said. The first object is to ensure the production of good 

 feather ; the Buff supplying the close, compact element, and the Yellow the silkiness of texture and 

 the colour. There is no rule that has not its exception, nor are there wanting occasions when 

 this order of things is not adhered to ; but it is only departed from when specific results are 

 desired. It may be, perhaps, that some particular strain, good in all other points, has, from some 

 necessary line of procedure in breeding, become too thinly feathered or the contrary, in which 

 case it may be advisable to pair two Buffs or two Yellows to counteract this tendency in either 

 direction ; and it may even be found necessary to continue such treatment for one or tw.o 

 generations, till the required texture has been obtained. There may be other causes for such 

 pairing — as, for instance, to avoid too close consanguinity ; but it must be understood that the 

 rule, as applied to feather, is, pairing two Yellows induces thinness, and pairing two Buffs has just 

 the contrary effect ; and we do not wish to apply it, at present, in any other direction. It will be 

 seen that there is here scope for the exercise of a considerable amount of skill on the part of the 

 breeder, who, in the pursuit of the many points of excellence recognised by fanciers of this variety, 

 must maintain, from end to end, fine quality of feather. It is in this respect that Canary-breeding 

 differs so materially from poultry-breeding. We have two distinct descriptions of feather, which 

 we are bound to mingle ; to maintain, as it were, both surface and grain of the page to be 

 printed ; and this it is which renders our work doubly difficult. We have the same ends in view 

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