Crested Cinnamons. 145 



from the very "something" which surrounds it that the bird is Cinnamon-bred, and a fancier 



has seldom to appeal to the pink eye to confirm his opinion, so clearly is the character of the 

 bird stamped upon it. 



In addition to these standard classes there is the Crested Cinnamon, in which every class of 

 Norwich crest, as previously detailed, has its counterpart. Very few, however, are bred ; and on 

 one or two occasions only, within our knowledge, has even as much as a solitary class for the 

 entire variety been provided at any show ; the present place of one of our prettiest Canaries being 

 that home for the houseless, in which new varieties of sterling merit are perhaps not so often 

 recognised as are the representative specimens of standard forms, which, for want of a class being 

 provided, are, for the occasion, sent into the " Any other Variety." A few very fair specimens, 

 chiefly Buffs, have made their appearance during the last few years, but nothing possessing more 

 than average merit ; the principal defects being, apart from want of that striking crest development 

 which can only result from continued careful pedigree-breeding, want of purity in body-colour, 

 and also lack of depth of colour and consequent failure of contrast between the colour of the 

 cinnamon crest and the clear body-feathers, in which must consist much of the beauty of the 

 bird. We do not think that the endeavour to produce this bird in perfection has ever been very 

 persistently followed out, but we are fully satisfied that one gem has but to appear to set the 

 Fancy in a blaze, and create as widely-spread a taste for Crested Cinnamons in every form as for 

 Crested Norwich. From the nature of things, we know that high-class Crested Yellows of any 

 variety must always be rare, but with Buffs the case is different ; and we think that a rich clear- 

 bodied Buff with well-formed cinnamon crest, or a bird with good cinnamon wings and crest, is 

 one worth trying for, and deserving of a leading position in our schedules. 



Our description of the Cinnamon as a member of the Colour section must here cease. We 

 shall have to refer to it again when we come to speak about one or two varieties with which it has 

 been crossed for other than colour purposes, here only asking our readers to keep in mind our line 

 of arrangement — viz., to consider the bird, first, per se, and then to treat of the use made of it. Its 

 connection with the Norwich variety, with the eff"ects produced, and the intimate mutual relations 

 existing between the two, we have exhausted, and shall devote the next chapter to the subject 

 of breeding the modern Cinnamon, with some remarks on sundry peculiar features attaching 

 thereto. 



19 



