42 



CANARY BIRDS. 



have lost its market-value, about from 50 to 80s., or more, 

 it still remains valuable to the breeder, for it remains 

 available for the acquisition of an irreproachable after-breed. 

 Such a bird can, however, be obtained only by the most 

 careful " thorough " breeding. 



The " CiimamOTl " Canary is distinguished by the 

 deep cinnamon-brown tone of the "canary" yellow; they 

 can scarcely be recognized as a unified breed, for they pre- 

 sent themselves in all the various shades of colour which 

 have been mentioned already ; the "buff" cinnamon show's 

 the pure, deep, "dun" brown, while the "jonque" cinna- 

 mon has no reddish tone in its colouring ; it is a pleasing- 

 peculiarity of these birds that their whole plumage is of an 

 absolutely even colour ; they, too, are capable of displaying 

 all the various marks which have been described, from the 

 streak across the eye, down to the full " swallow " mark, 

 smooth-headed or crested ; and they too have, of late, been 

 bred with the pepper-coloured shade. An irreproachable 

 " cinnamon," no matter what his markings be, must, how- 

 ever, always be of an ovenly brown shade ; were the bird 

 ever so handsome, it would not obtain a prize at a London 

 exhibition, if the crest, or any other mark, were either black 

 or greenish-grey. The price is 30 to 40s. per pair, or 25 

 to 35s. for a single, good bird. 



The most interesting of all English colour-birds is the 

 " Lizard," wdiose distinctive mark is, in the first instance, a 

 large, clear-yellow spot on the head ; this reaches from the 

 upper part of the beak and the nostrils, above the eye, to 

 the back of the head ; the cheeks, the throat, neck and 

 upper breast are, more or less, clear yellow ; but the rest of 

 the body, principally the "mantle" and the sides of the 

 breast and belly, are striped, or, more correctly, " scaled " in 

 lizard fashion ; every feather is black, or at least dark brown, 

 but broadly edged with white, as are also the great "fans" 



