CANARIES 223 



short, round head. The plumage should be soft and fine, 

 but still must be smooth. The wings, as in most canary- 

 breeds, lie close and meet in a straight line on the back. The 

 Norwich, which occurs in all of the clear, self and marked 

 varieties, excels in richness of color, and is the bird in which 

 color feeding produces the best results. 



The modern Crested Canary appears to have been de- 

 veloped by various crossings of breeds, prominent among 

 which are the Norwich and the Lancashire Coppy, the aim 

 of breeders being to get a bird of the large, thick-set, 

 Norwich type. The crest is the most important point in this 

 bird. This should be formed of large, flat feathers, radiating 

 from a point in the center of the crown. It should be cir- 

 cular in shape, free from upstanding feathers, and should 

 cover both beak and eyes. The back of the crest is a weak 

 spot, many birds having a tendency to exhibit faults at 

 this point. The most popular color is a clear body with dark 

 crest, followed closely by the even marks. The entirely 

 clear bird is considered the least desirable. 



In breeding Crests, crestless birds, known as Crest-breds, 

 occur. These birds are of the same type as the typical 

 Crests, but are plain-headed, the only indication of their 

 ancestry being a curling or rising of the feathers over the 

 eye, known as " browing." In pairing, it is customary to 

 mate, a Crest with a Crest-bred, a method which seems to 

 produce the best results. Crests of very good quality are 

 imported from England yearly, and offered for sale by 

 dealers,, but the breed does not appear to be kept extensively 

 here. 



The Lancashire Coppy is the largest of the Canary 

 breeds, its stature being considerably greater than that of 

 the Crest. The name refers to the crest which adorns the 

 head. In this bird the feathers of the crown radiate from 

 the center toward the front and sides only, and not toward 



