156 



MRS. BASLEY'S WESTERN POULTRY BOOK 



down so that the shoulders are the high- 

 est point on view. They are trained to 

 keep the head down and the shoulders 

 up, so that they have almost the appear- 

 ance of being hump-backed. 



Dutch Frills — These are frilled on 

 the chest, which makes them appear 

 rough, but they have many admirers. 



London Fancy — This once popular 

 bird, with clear, bright yellow body and 

 dark wings and tail, seems to be get- 

 ting quite scarce, now very few being 

 bred, probably on account of the diffi- 

 culty of breeding with the proper mark- 

 ings. 



Norwich — Last, but not least, we have 

 the Norwich variety. This is without 

 doubt the most popular and beautiful of 

 the canary family, not only on account 

 of the lovely and wonderful coloring, 

 but also as singers they are second to 

 none. In no other variety is there such 

 depth of color, and so large a variety of 

 markings. 



The Norwich canary should have a 

 full, round head with thick, short neck 

 set on a chubby, round body, broad 

 chest, short wings and tail. He should 

 stand well across the perch with a bold, 

 jaunty appearance. They vary in color- 

 ing and feather through all the various 

 phases of marking from the green to 

 the clear yellow, sometimes a specimen 

 is seen with both eyes and wings marked 

 alike, these are called "even marked" 

 and are highly valued, while rarer still 

 is the bird marked on eyes, wings and 

 each side of the tail, this is called a "six- 

 pointed" bird. 



The Norwich is divided, as are the 

 other varieties, in to "yellows" and 

 "buffs." Good exhibition specimens of 

 yellows are of the brightest orange, al- 

 most the color of red-hot iron. The 

 "buffs," although as deep and bright in 

 color, have the end of each little feather 

 just tipped with white very lightly. The 

 deep bright yellow shining through 

 gives the appearance of being frosted, or 

 as if a thin white lace veil were over 

 the bird with the yellow shining 

 through. The effect is almost indescrib- 

 ably beautiful. Some of these birds are 

 extremely valuable. They are good 

 songsters, exquisite little birds, bright 

 and intelligent. 



There are many shows in the differ- 

 ent cities and towns all over England, 

 Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the fall 

 and winter and when these shows are 

 over the owners of the prize winners 

 send the champions (those that have 

 never been beaten) up to the biggest 



and best show of all in the month of 

 February at the Crystal Palace. At the 

 52nd annual show last February there 

 were in all 2600 cage birds competing 

 for prices. A prize there means a win- 

 ning over about 26,000 birds from all 

 over the country. 



In reply to the request, of one of his 

 customers for a few instructions in the 

 management of canries, Mr. John Bur- 

 rows writes: 



I like a room with the window in the 

 East or Southeast, so that the birds 

 will get the sun's rays when it is not 

 too warm in the morning, also we must 

 remember that the birds feed their 

 young at the earliest opportunity in the 

 morning. 



I prefer a breeding cage as plainly 

 made as possible, with just a wire front, 

 every crevice must be puttied up, so 

 there is no room for red mites, no 

 ornaments or mouldings of any sort, it 

 should be either limewashed or paint- 

 ed, with a drawer at bottom to clean 

 them out, sliding divisions in the mid- 

 dle. Some fanciers use a slide with a 

 few wires, so that the birds can get ac- 

 quainted that way. Plenty of sharp 

 grit in bottom of cage, the seed hopper 

 in the center over slide, drinking water 

 at each end, never put drinking water 

 inside ; four perches, two each side the 

 slide, perches made big enough for birds 

 to grasp firmly (no pencils). Hang nest 

 box between perches when birds are 

 ready to build. Size of breeding cage 

 outside measure 36 in. long, 18 in. high, 

 12 in. deep. When your cages are ready, 

 place the female on one side and the 

 male on the other, when the male bird 

 is seen feeding the hen through the 

 wires, they are then ready to begin 

 housekeeping, but don't put them to- 

 gether till March 1st, then you have 

 plenty of time for three nests before the 

 end of July. The male bird I sent you 

 is a buff marked, he should be paired 

 to a yellow hen. 



Don't feed anything but plain canary 

 seed in the hoppers, just a pinch of the 

 following every other day in rotation, 

 maw, rape, flax, hemp, millet; never 

 give mixed seed, just a little tender 

 green food every alternate day. 



You will tell when the hen is about 

 ready to lay. as she will finish her nest, 

 and will not let the male pull it to pieecs 

 as perhaps he has been doing. When 

 she has laid, take out the egg and put 

 in a dummy, a small marble. She will 

 perhaps lay every morning till the nest 

 is complete, but if she misses a day 



