" BRABANTERS." 



27 



were fir^t introduced into the trade by the Dutch, and have 

 been universally propagated since about a.d. 1863 ; it is not 

 known, however, whether they were first bred in Holland, 

 or in some other country. The first of these canaries (3 

 males and 5 females) were brought from Strasburg to 

 Berlin in March, 1848, by the major-domo, Mr. Meyer; he 

 caused them to nest, and also crossed them with " Hartz " 

 birds, but finding that they were of little use for breeding 

 purposes, and that, moreover, they were not apt in acquir- 

 ing good singing, he discarded them after a few years ; 

 indeed, in Germany, at the present date, but few of them 

 are bred. The measurements of the Dutch canary are : 

 length, 6 to 8 inches; breadth of wings, 10 to 12 inches; 

 tail, 2J to 3| inches. 



Under-breeds of Dutch Birds.— The Dutch birds are 



again subdivided in several classes. (1.) The Dutch proper, 

 also called " Trumpeters," these are tall, slender birds, 

 having a " ruff "of lengthened feathers reaching from the 

 throat, along the chest, down to the middle of the belly, and 

 the bushier the ruff, the purer the breed ; similarly, the 

 feathers of the " mantle " are lengthened to such a degree, 

 that they curl downwards over the upper part of the wings, 

 hence they are called " epaulets ; " it is from the latter mark, 

 and not from their song, that the name a. — " Trumpeter " is 

 derived. 



The tallest and most slender of these " trumpeters " are 

 generally distinguished as b. — " Parisians," and if one of 

 them happens to be unusually shaggy, he will be called 

 c. — Lord Mayor. 



2. " Brabanters." — They are somewhat smaller than 

 the Dutch proper, the back is less curved, the "ruff" is 

 imperfect, and the " epaulets " are entirely wanting ; some 

 fanciers consider them as a distinct breed, while others 



