Our  Canaries 
themselves  to  the  owner,  and  the  whole  stock  of  these  sports  had  become 
extinct  without  an  effort  to  perpetuate  the  race. 
THE  WHITE  CANARY. 
But  the  production  of  the  white  Canary  was  destined  to  become  an  undoubted 
reality,  and  a  specimen  was,  in  1907,  bred  by  Mr.  W.  Kiesel,  of  North  London, 
from  a  pair  of  yellow  Yorkshires.    Unfortunately,  this  bird  died  in  the  nest,  but 
the  following  year  the  same  pair  of  birds  bred  another  white  one,  which  was  reared, 
and  eventually  caused  a  sensation  as  a  novel  exhibit  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  in 
1909.    Luckily  this  sport  occurred  in  the  hands  of  a  fancier  who  recognised  its 
possibilities,  and  by  carefully  following  up  the  same  line,  and  fostering  the  most 
suitable  material,  nearly  a  dozen  white  specimens  have  been  bred,  and  more  than 
half  of  this  number  reared,  so  that  by  taking  advantage  of  a  single  sport  from  an 
ordinary  type,  Mr.  Kiesel  not  only  has  the  honour  of  being  the  first  to  produce  and 
exhibit  undoubted  specimens  of  white  Canaries  in  modern  times,  but  has  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  new  variety,  which  is  in  a  fair  way  to  becoming  established.  At 
present  grey  or  grizzled  markings  are  found  on  the  white  specimens.    Later  on, 
when  the  breed  is  better  established  and  more  numerous,  it  is  not  improbable  that 
melanistic  freaks  may  turn  up  with  black  points ;  or  even  wholly  black  sports. 
But  the  firm  establishment  of  the  white  base  is  the  work  of  the  moment.  Once 
that  is  secured,  the  grafting  on  of  markings  in  either  grey  or  black,  if  available, 
will  come  in  due  course.    And  a  white  with  grey  or  black  even-marks  is  a  charming 
acquisition  which  gives  one  much  pleasure  even  to  contemplate. 
A  POSSIBLE  BLACK  CANARY. 
The  establishment  of  a  white  variety  must  also  materially  increase  the  chances 
of  a  sport  in  the  direction  of  melanism,  when  a  black  specimen,  wholly  or  in  part, 
may  turn  up,  and  by  taking  advantage  of  the  break,  as  in  the  case  of  the  whites, 
give  rise  in  the  future  to  a  black  variety.  This,  at  present,  is  but  the  object  of 
visionary  hopes,  and  will  be  looked  upon  in  many  quarters  as  a  chimerical  fancy. 
Yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  only,  say,  five  brief  years  ago,  the  production  of 
a  white  variety  would  have  been  almost  universally  discredited.  We  know  that 
black  sports  are  of  comparatively  common  occurrence  from  most  other  established 
breeds  of  white  animals,  so  that  in  this  case  we  are  not  without  the  hope  that,, 
notwithstanding  ordinary  known  laws  to  the  contrary,  such  a  freak  may  yet  be 
produced. 
THE  BLUE  LIZARD. 
And  if  we  were  asked  in  what  direction  to  investigate  for  such  a  sport,  apart 
from  patiently  awaiting  its  spontaneous  appearance  from  white  stock,  we  should 
unhesitatingly  say  go  to  the  Lizards ;  endeavour  first  of  all  to  revive  the  old 
Blue  Lizard,  but  mating  silver  to  silver,  breed  them  natural  colour,  and  avoid 
colour  feeding.  It  is  but  reasonable  to  hope  that  the  establishment  of  the  Blue 
Lizard  as  a  variety  would  give  rise  to  both  black  and  white  sports. 
