1 64 Canaries and Cage-Birds. 



edging, but so long as it is a perfect wing its shortcomings are nothing more than negative, and 

 the most that can be counted against them is a subtractive value. But it sometimes happens that 

 an otherwise beautiful wing is spoiled by the presence of one or two (one is enough to disqualify- 

 under the rigid Lizard law) clear feathers, which, when they occur in the smaller coverts, constitute 

 what is known as a "rose shoulder," "rose wing," or "shell wing" (see Fig. 52). This is a most 

 vexatious and fatal blemish, and a white smaller covert is just exactly one of those feathers which 

 stick to the fingers and are apt to come away quite unintentionally. A white flight-feather will 

 also only too frequently intrude where " black, home to the quill," forbids its presence. Such 

 a feather is fatal to the reputation of any bird, and entails summary disqualification, though if 

 it be not absolutely white, but show some trace of black in stalk or web, it does not actually 

 disqualify, though, however good the bird may be in other respects, it reduces its winning 

 chances to something indefinitely lower than zero. We need scarcely add that if any feathers 

 ought to be blacker than the rest, they are those of the bastard wing. 



Travelling to the other end of the bird, we find the tail, the twelve feathers of which must 

 be essentially the same in character as the flights. It must not be spread out like a fan, nor 

 piped, but expanded just enough to show the extreme outer margin of each feather, its base being 

 thatched by the upper coverts, which must show not the slightest approach to coarseness — a defect 

 not for a moment to be tolerated anywhere in a Lizard. 



Cap, spangle, wings, and tail : there cannot be much remaining except the beak, legs, and 

 claws, which ought to be as dark as possible, since the clear beak and flesh-coloured legs and claws 

 are indicative of a tendency towards paling in colour. The general appearance of a Lizard is 

 dark, and he belongs to a dark-flue school : light points are, as a matter of contrast, objection- 

 able ; as a matter of breeding, still more so. Dark beak, dark legs, and ebony claws are the 

 correct thing in a Lizard : they are his hat, gloves, and boots — things some people don't care about. 

 We do. He should be a perfect gentleman in all the details of dress. There is a fitness in things: 

 sheep-skin kid gloves, sizes too large, and seditious-looking boots spoil the best costume. 



