IS 



CANARY BIRDS. 



5|- inches, the extended wings measuring 12 to 13 inches in 

 breadth, and his tail is about 3J inches long. The best 

 mode of reviewing all tame canaries, will be to divide them 

 into three principal groups, the first of which comprises the 

 Germany the second, the Dutch, and the third, the English 

 breed. 



The German Breed: their Classification.— The 



German canaries are classified partly according to their 

 colour, and partly according to their song; they are usu- 

 ally divided into " common " German canaries, otherwise 

 called country -breed, and the " ennobled " breed of the 

 " Hartz " (the latter are, even now, erroneously designated 

 as " Saxon " canaries by travelling dealers). 



I. The " Common " German Canary " Colour 



Birds. — The colours vary between a dark, vivid gold- 

 colour and nearly orange, and a whitish yellow or an almost 

 pure white ; between a yellowish brown passing through 

 the " dun " colour, proper, to a reddish brown, and from a 

 greyish green, through a shade of yellow green, to a blackish 

 green. We distinguish (a) bright yellow or golden-coloured 

 birds, which are all the more prized the more they approach 

 in colour to the rich " Orange." As these present a beauti- 

 ful appearance indeed, when of a uniform colour all over the 

 body, they are extremely popular, and zealous breeders 

 principally strive to propagate them in breeding absolutely 

 pure as regards colour. 



(p.) The straiv-coloured, whose colour is much more pale 

 and whitish, but still very lovely ; these are bred the most. 



(c.) The tvhite, which, of course, are not pure white, but 

 only of a very light yellow, and are in great request when 

 it is desired to breed very fine bastards with gold-finches or 

 any other kindred species of the finch. 



(d.) The dun-coloured is something between a yellowish 

 and a reddish brown, and inclines more or less to one or 



