yUDGIN'G Lo.VDO.V FaNCY CaNARIES. 



187 



to compare it with any recognised standard — indeed, we do not know of the existence of one — but 

 we submit the following as embodying, as nearly as we can express, the ideas of such breeders of 

 the variety as we have had opportunities of communicating with : — 



SCALE OF POINTS FOR JUDGING LONDON FANCY CANARIES. 



Poinfs of Merit. 



Maxiir 



Colour — On the boJy, including the cap or crown : for 

 deptli and purity, absolutely clear cap, and freedom 



from ticks or spangles on back 



On the wings ; for blackness of web and quill of flight' 



feathers and bastard-feathers 



On the tail : for the same 



Underflue : for blackness 



Feather — For fine silky quality and compactness 



Shape — Head, broad and neat ; back, for width ; breast, 

 for fulness ... ... , . 



Size — For generally robust appearance 



Legs and Feet — For darkness 



Condition — Health, cleanness, and sound feather 



Total 



Negative Properties. 

 A London Fancy Canary should on no account show the 

 slightest tick on or about the region of the crown or cap ; nor, 

 in the perfectly-developed form of its show-plumage, should 

 it show any dark featlier or any feather ticked or grizzled in web 

 or quill on the neck, back, breast, or other part of the body, or 

 any tendency to a ticked or spangled habit of plumage. It 

 should not on any account have a white feather in the wings or 

 tail, either in its nest-feathers or as the result of accidental 

 shedding ; nor should any of these strong quills show a grey or 

 grizzled form, or other than a glossy black colour. It should 

 not have white bastard-quills. Neither should it exhibit white 

 underflue or white skin anywhere except on the crown, nor is it 

 desirable that it should have white legs or feet, or similar 

 features belonging to clear-bodied birds of other varieties. It 

 should not have coarse featlier, nor a slovenly carriage of wings 

 or tail. It should not have a narrow, mean head, nor be long 

 and narrow in body, nor upright in position, as opposed to the 

 broad-backed, full-breasted, semi-erect type of Canary, nor 

 should it be small or puny in its build. It should not be shown 

 dirty or with broken feathers, or in a way calculated to hide the 

 brilliancy of its clear body or mar the effect of the contrast 

 furnished by its distinctive plumage. 



Disqualifications. 

 The presence of dark feathers on the cap or crown, constituting 

 the bird "foul capped." An entirely white feather in wing or 

 tail, i.e., a feather which does not show some trace of dark 

 colour either in web or quill. 



In this, as in previous scales, we have given only what we consider the leading features of the 

 bird, and have endeavoured to avoid any hair-splitting in our valuations, adopting 5 as our base or 

 unit, and making other values multiples of that number. Nicer distinctions might, perhaps, have 

 been made, but for practical work they will be found included in one or another of our headings. 

 The smaller fractional parts of a workman's rule are not numbered, except in some complicated 

 arrangements ; and we have no desire to make our scales so elaborate that those for whom they 

 are intended will run the risk of losing themselves among our figures. We know which side of a 

 two-foot rule is most frequently referred to, and we think that our simple scale will measure any 

 bird with sufficient accuracy if intelligently applied. 



