Various Defects m Cap. 159 



The three forms we have described— viz., the greater and lesser isolated blemishes, and 

 the clearly-defined intrusion of the neck-spangles in a connected mass — constitute the three 

 representative examples of the broken-capped bird, the presence of any of the blemishes 

 entailing the penalty of disqualification in ordinary competition. In the case of marginal 

 shortcomings a certain amount of licence is allowed ; and in weighing these, their extent as well 

 as locality must be taken into consideration in deciding whether they shall be disqualifications 

 or simply represent subtractive values. Too much dark margin over the eye, for instance, 

 is worse than none at all, and is very apt to assume such proportions as to bring the cap 

 under the category of broken. Another dangerous region is the space between the top of 

 the eye and the beak, margined by the dark feathers of the face. These sometimes rise into 

 the cap, a very slight disarrangement here destroying the perfect oval frontage and condemning 

 the cap. Blemishes at the sides or towards the front are more serious than at the back, 

 where some irregularity of outline is more frequent. A not uncommon defect in the rear 

 is when the corners of a square-cut cap run, one or both of them, slightly into the neck : it 

 may be merely a very faint streak, and scarcely perceptible ; but, if even to the extent of 

 only one or two feathers, it is visible, and destroys the finish which should belong to a clean-cut 



Fig. 48. 



outline. Occasionally the posterior boundary of the thumb-nail is fringy, arising from one or two 

 of the clear feathers projecting beyond the margin ; and sometimes an oval cap becomes 

 pointed to an extent which, while what remains of it may be clear, renders it anything but 

 a desirable form. 



There is one other blemished type to which we must call attention, being in reality one 

 form of the run cap, but run in a direction different to that indicated in Fig. 47 ; we refer 

 to what is known as a bald face, an example of which is seen in Fig. 48, in which the cap includes 

 not only the eye, but a portion of the cheek. This is a very serious defect, and is frequently 

 accompanied by other departures from soundness of body-colour, of which we shall treat in 

 their proper place. One would imagine that an extension or running of the cap in any direction 

 would be equally reprehensible, but practically it is not so. In a mere longitudinal extension 

 the cap is enlarged in a direction in which it may travel within certain limits, but the lateral 

 boundaries it cannot pass without trespassing on a region which cannot be said to belong to 

 the crown, and such departure is indicative of a disposition to run riot in a way which belongs 

 not to the good Lizard. This gross form of blemish, a form which seems to brook no control, 

 might perhaps have been classed with departures from sound body-feather; but emanating, 

 as it most frequently does, from the cap, we have preferred to connect it with that feature. 

 Figs. 49 and 50 illustrate two forms which, while perfect in their way, are undesirable shapes. 

 The first represents a short or under-sized cap, and the latter one which droops in the rear, 

 and is, therefore, not on the same plane throughout : of the two, the latter is the least objectionable, 

 provided always that the base be decided in its outline. 



