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Our  Canaries 
as  early  as  1804,  is  but  a  shadow  of  its  former  strong  self.  This  is  De  Endracht, 
or  the  Union.  De  Arend,  the  Eagle,  dates  from  1846,  and  still  holds  its  annual 
show  during  the  Fetes  of  Antwerp,  subsidised  by  the  town  to  the  value  of  one 
hundred  francs.     In  quality  the  birds  are  very  inferior  to  those  of  even  fifteen  to 
twenty  years  ago,  being  much  de- 
creased in  size,  whilst  the  square 
massive  shoulder  of  years  ago  is 
scarcely  ever  seen. 
"  In  Scotland  also  the  Belgian 
is  in  a  very  bad  way,  as  so  many 
good  and  true  fanciers  got  disgusted 
with  so  many  crosses  with  the  Scotch 
Fancy  getting  well  into  the  money 
that  they  have  given  up  breeding 
them,  or,  if  still  doing  so,  in  a  half- 
hearted way.  The  wreck  of  the 
Belgian  has  been  that,  though  the 
very  finest  were  imported,  they  were 
not  kept  and  bred  as  Belgians,  but 
used  for  crossing,  and  so  lost  to  the 
Belgian  Fancy." 
THE  CAUSE  OF  DECLINE. 
Writing  on  the  cause  of  its 
waning  popularity  amongst  us,  we 
have  to  thank  Mr,  W.  B.  Cobb, 
Hon.  Sec.  of  the  United  Kingdom 
Belgian  Canary  Association,  for  the 
following  notes,  which  should  be 
earnestly  considered  by  judges  and 
exhibitors  alike.  "  This  question," 
he  writes,  "  has  reached  an  acute 
stage  amongst  those  who  have  the 
welfare  of  the  Belgian  Canary  at  heart.  I  am  satisfied  that  it  has  increased 
in  numbers  and  popularity  during  the  past  few  years.  Since  the  U.K. B.C. A. 
instituted  the  young  bird  class  it  has  always  been  well  supported.  Here  points  one 
of  the  finger-posts  to  popularise  the  Belgian  classes.  Exhibitors  feel  they  have  a 
better  chance  of  success  in  these  classes,  which  object  is  well  worth  fostering. 
"  The  greatest  difficulty  the  Belgian  fancier  has  to  contend  with  is  the  great 
inroads  which  the  modern  Scotch  Fancy  has  made  upon  the  Belgian,  to  the 
detriment  of  the  latter  and  the  consequent   '  first  crosses '  appearing  in  the 
A  Scotch  Fancy— Belgian  Cross-bred. 
