24 



CANARY BIRDS. 



in this selection, and which do not display it oftener than 

 five or six times in the course of their song, as " faultless " 

 or " prime " birds. We will even allow two of these disson- 

 ances, provided that they do not occur, separately, more 

 than three or four times during the song of a bird belong- 

 ing to a first-rate breed • to the listener they soon disappear 

 with the harmony of the remainder of the song ; warblers 

 of this stamp, the fancier will call " pure " singers, but if, 

 by chance, they degenerate and repeat these " discords " 

 eight times or more, then they will naturally lose much of 

 their value. 



II. The Different Breeds.— To begin with, the Dutch 

 breed is distinguished from the German canary in the 

 following manner : nearly one third taller, more slender, 

 and having longer legs, these canaries are distinguished 

 particularly by lengthened, soft, and, as it were, " split " 

 feathers in different parts of the body, and these furnish 

 another proof of the great deviation from the natural state 

 which may be accomplished by breeding. 



The muscles of the legs are more flexible, so that the 

 bird presents itself before us in a singularly erect posture, 

 his back more or less curved, his shoulders drawn up, and 

 with his head kept in a horizontal position ; this singular 

 bearing is, at the same time, a mark of thorough breeding. 

 For obvious reasons the Dutch canaries are more delicate 

 and sensitive, they are more frequently and more easily 

 subject to illness, their nesting is less copious and reliable 

 than that of the common German bird, and they have not, 

 in the remotest degree, the power and beauty of song which 

 is the attribute of the " Hartz " canary ; nevertheless, they 

 are, by many, much esteemed, and command a high price, 

 (from 15s. to £3 15s. a pair) and the breeding may prove 

 to be very lucrative. The record of this variety of canaries 

 is hitherto unknown, certain it is, however, that such birds 



