Changes in Moulting. 167 



work a breeding system with this as one of its bases. Remember that dark feather means dark 

 spangling, and that the Lizard will deteriorate in this respect quickly enough if encouraged. 

 White beak, white legs, and white claws are frequently followed by white something else. Mate, 

 as near as can be got, with a view to a balance of good properties — a problem not always easy of 

 solution, the practical outcome of the " concentration " theory being that in most good breeding- 

 rooms two strains insensibly grow up, good in most points, but strong in one ; the exceptional bird, 

 the lion of its year, being generally a happy hit in which, by means of two sister strains, good 

 spangle and fair cap have been augmented by union with fair spangle and superlatively good cap. 

 But since experience has shown that the cap is the most variable and intractable feature, never 

 hesitate to pair birds, however wanting in this respect, even to the extent of having no cap, if good 

 caps have been bred from the strain. And further, inasmuch as a bald face, though connected 

 with the cap, is in reality a defective condition of body-ka.ther frequently accompanied by other 

 body blemishes, and is further indicative of a disposition to grow light feathers instead of dark — 

 do not breed from these unless for good reasons. 



This leads us to a brief notice of a few things to be avoided or dealt with cautiously, 

 and chief among them is the frequent use of any birds showing white feathers either in the wings 

 or tail. These will occasionally appear even in the best strains, and puzzle the breeder as to 

 whence their origin. We are disposed to regard them, in such cases, as mere sports rather than 

 decided indications of foul blood, and we would not altogether discard an otherwise superior strain 

 simply on account of its now and then producing a pied wing or tail. But we need not say that it 

 would be contrary to the principles of Pedigree Breeding to pair two pied birds unless we wished 

 to follow a suicidal policy with our stock. Counteract the influence and check the sport by mating 

 with the blackest of black wings. Don't try to stamp out a)ij/ defect in a hurry : it cannot be done 

 any more than good properties can be fixed all at once ; and take care that in doing this or 

 anything else some other point is not stamped out which ought to be stamped in, or something 

 added which ought to be subtracted. Attention to or neglect of these matters either means 

 breeding or else mere waste of time. 



The Lizard possesses its show-plumage for one year only. In its nest-feathers it shows 

 no spangle whatever, but is just like a common Green Canary with a yellow cap, though some 

 indications of its future character may be discerned by a practised eye. The breast of a good 

 Gold nestling is speckled not unlike that of a Skylark, and sundry other small items are so many 

 grounds of hope on which the old breeders, especially in Lancashire, speculate as to the number 

 of copper kettles, the traditionary prize for a good Lizard, likely to depend from the hooks in 

 their kitchen ceilings at the close of the show season. " First-feather " — that is, nest-feather — shows 

 are common in the districts where this bird is bred as a specialty ; indeed, every stage of its 

 existence is watched with as much interest as a school-boy bestows on his silkworms during their 

 successive metamorphoses. The changes which take place at the first and second moults are 

 these : — In common with all others of the family, the bird casts its entire suit at the first moult 

 except the flights and tail-feathers, which retain their original dark hue while the body puts on its 

 spangle, and it is then, as we have said, in its show-dress. At the second moult the whole is 

 renewed with a great alteration in character. The body-feathers become much lighter, the 

 delicate marginal fringe turns paler in the Gold and whiter in the Silver, extends further into 

 the web and defaces the clearly-defined eye of the spangle, which itself becomes less distinct 

 as the entire feather loses its original brilliancy, and a general fading results, shared by the stalk 

 or quill also, which, from being black, turns to grey, and " black, home to the quill " no longer 

 represents the new state of things. This takes place with all Lizards, but with some more than 



