134 Caa'aries and Cage-Birds. 



unwittingly introduced, has been largely diffused, impressing its stamp in ever-widening circles, 

 till we find its imprint clearly defined on the head of the highest types of the variety — viz., in 

 the Clear body with Dark Crest, and the Evenly-marked and Crested, the most perfect forms in 

 which the bird appears. 



We have not thought it necessary to follow out to its extreme issue the system of pairing we 

 have recommended as a means to secure crest, since it involves nothing more than the application 

 of the principles of selection and concentration, which are the same in their action whatever 

 may be the points to be seized on or rejected. The materials we proposed to deal with were an 

 imported necessary accompanied by an undesirable feature, to which the former is, nevertheless, to 

 a considerable degree, indebted for its full development, but which is foreign to the character of the 

 stock on which we propose to graft the scion ; and herein consists the difficulty. It is manifest that 

 some sacrifice must be made on one side or the other, or on both ; but without carrying the figure 

 further, we say that the mode of procedure to be followed is, briefly, in the first place to reject 

 those birds which show no marked character either way, and then to select from the rest those 

 in which crest has been stamped with the least loss of character consistent with the greatest amount 

 of gain in improved condition of body-feather. Systematic pairing of these birds among them- 

 selves, or with approved strains, will accomplish all that can be desired. Out of the varied produce 

 will occasionally spring a specimen apparently far in advance of his fellows ; but the breeder must 

 not come to the conclusion that the three points — crest, feather, and shape — are fixed until he 

 sees them repeated, not in isolated cases, but with sufficient frequency to warrant him looking in 

 some particular direction for some special feature, and finding it produced. As the distinctive 

 features of each bird become gradually merged in the new type, quite as much attention will be 

 required to maintain the ground gained as has been expended in making it, and any tendency 

 towards decline must be met by the introduction of a fresh supply of the failing element. The 

 breeder who has worked with several pairs, and has noted carefully the character of his stock, 

 knows exactly where to lay his hand on what he requires. Here he notices a falling away in crest, 

 and mates with it a rather coarse Plainhead. It scarcely looks like the sort of bird we would like 

 to cross with a fine strain, but he knows it was the only rough one out of a fine nest, and can do 

 wonders in resuscitating crest without affecting body-feather. And here is a rather persistent 

 coarseness, at which he fires a shot by pairing with an exquisitely neat bird, and so on, doing 

 nothing without a reason, adding crest, reducing coarseness, adding feather, or performing any 

 other necessary step by the aid of material of which he knows the composition and the certainty 

 of its action. 



We shall conclude our remarks on this most popular class of Canary by a few hints as to how 

 to breed for marking. It is much easier to produce this in the Crested than in the ordinary Plain- 

 head classes, less being demanded, and what is required being more easily controlled. The only 

 two points are a dark crest and even marking on the wings, the dark crest appearing either by 

 itself or in connection with the wing marking. We have said how the same marking that stamps 

 the wing also stamps the crest, and it only remains to show the best means to adopt to secure one 

 or both. The bare mention of the word marking must suggest to the reader the prospect of some 

 difficulty in its treatment ; but when it is remembered that we only seek to fix it in one place, and 

 that place the easiest, the difficulty will diminish or die away altogether, the large number of 

 specimens constantly in exhibition, all of them being good representatives of the kind of marking 

 required, showing that, so far as the marking is concerned, its production is an every-day 

 occurrence. Still, if there be a difficulty, we may as well face it ; but it will be necessary only to 

 mention the cause to enable the breeder to cope with it. It arises from the previously-explained 



