Our  Canaries 
mated  ;  it  matters  not  how  they  are  bred,  if  not  judiciously  mated  poor  results 
are  bound  to  follow.  Were  I  asked  how  near  I  would  go  in  in-breeding,  I  should 
say  there  is  no  limit  for  the  first  time ;  but  to  continue  in  a  haphazard  manner 
would,  to  say  the  least,  be  madness.  If  your  strain  is  thoroughly  healthy,  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  mate  father  and  daughter,  or  vice  versa,  but  you 
must  have  an  object  for  so  doing.    Size  can  be  increased  by  judicious  in-breeding." 
ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  IT. 
Writing  on  the  same  topic,  Mr.  D.  Mallinson,  of  Yorkshire  fame,  remarks:— 
"  I  had  never  believed  in  in-breeding,  as  I  had  always  been  taught  that  it  was 
detrimental  to  the  stock.  It  made  them  weaker.  I  had,  however,  carefully 
studied  the  matter,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  a  certain  way  of 
improving  my  birds,  and  would  help  me  to  keep  closer  to  markings  if  I  could 
only  keep  the  birds  as  healthy  and  robust  under  this  breeding  with  related  pairs. 
I  determined  to  try  it.  Nothing  ventured,  nothing  won.  So  I  began  very 
carefully  and  went  no  further  than  cousins.  I  found  they  were  just  as  hale  and 
hearty  as  before,  and  after  a  few  years  of  breeding,  I  had  improved  my  stock 
more  than  I  had  done  in  twice  the  time  by  the  old  method.  This  showed  me 
that  in-breeding  was  an  important  thing  in  enabling  one  to  get  nearer  the  desired 
goal.    I  paired  very  carefully  and  never  risked  too  near  relations  till  I  seemed 
to  '  hit  on  '  all  at  once." 
THE  BALANCE  OF  POINTS. 
The  theory  of  compensating  faults  in  one  bird  of  a  pair  by  having  good 
corresponding  qualities  in  its  mate  is  pointed  out  in  the  following  notes  anent 
the  Border  Fancy,  kindly  supplied  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Robson,  of  Carlisle,  per 
Mr  Hugh  Connerton :— "  In  selecting  a  cock  for  breeding  clear  Borders,  I  prefer 
a  large  good-coloured  bird  with  nice  round  head  and  bred  off  green-marked  birds 
for  preference  The  green  blood  will  materially  help  the  colour.  Let  us  suppose 
that  this  bird  is  just  on  the  large  side,  which  tends  to  make  him  a  bit  coarse  m 
feather  and,  say,  is  not  clean  cut,  rather  weak  in  chest,  and  carries  his  wmgs  a 
bit  loose  He  must  be  mated  with  a  fine-feathered,  stylish  buff  hen,  clean  cut, 
having  a  good  chest  and  well  carried  wings  full  up  at  the  tips.  If,  on  the  other 
hand  we  have  a  light-marked  hen,  we  must  mate  her  to  a  clear-bred  cock.  If 
both  birds  are  off  lightly  marked  parents,  half  the  progeny  may  be  marked;  yet 
we  may  from  such  parents  have  better  coloured  birds  in  the  clears.  It  is  much 
easier  to  breed  type  than  to  breed  birds  well  up  in  colour.  There  is  no  royal  road 
to  breeding  even-marked  birds.    Many  attempt  it :  but  few  succeed." 
A    MATCHED    PAIR  DESCRIBED. 
"  A  properly  marked  bird  that  has  pear-shaped  eye  marks  and  well-balanced 
wings,  and  is  good  in  all  other  points,  is  a  rarity.    The  cock  may  be  selected 
with  the  secondary  feathers  of  both  wings  marked-one  wing  may  be  heavier 
than  the  other-with  perhaps  a  slight  tick  on  some  other  part  of  the  body  or  the 
