244 
Our  Canaries 
exhibitors  have  so  many  disappointments  and  annoyances,  and  so  little  to  cheer 
and  encourage  one's  hopes  for  the  future,  that  only  the  most  optimistic  and  plod- 
ding fancier  is  likely  to  persevere  to  the  end.  Far  better,  as  all  our  best  authori- 
ties consistently  advise,  begin  with  a  very  small  stock  of  the  best  birds  one  can 
possibly  obtain,  than  plunge  into  a  large  stock  of  mediocre  specimens.  Then, 
whilst  still  adhering  to  the  principles  of  compensation,  aim  at  breeding  from 
stock  which  is  the  nearest  approach  to  the  ideal  bird  one  can  command. 
THE  LANCASHIRE  IN  CROSSING. 
Probably  no  other  breed,  save  the  Belgian,  has  played  so  important  a  part 
in  crossing  to  improve  and  evolve  other  breeds  as  the  Lancashire.  It  is  to  this 
breed  that  we  owe  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  modern  Crest  and  Crest-bred, 
which  prior  to  the  introduction  of  Lancashire  blood  stagnated  in  a  condition 
incomparably  inferior  to  the  type  of  the  present  day — small  in  body,  and  with 
small  "  daisy  "  crests  not  so  very  far  removed  from  the  "  turn-crown  "  of  olden 
times.  Neat  and  trim  though  these  birds  were  they  rapidly  disappeared  before 
the  new  creation,  which  has  evolved  the  massive,  feathery,  and  immense  crests  we 
see  to-day.  In  quite  modern  times  it  played  a  leading  part  in  the  production  of 
the  racy  Yorkshire,  which  has  become  one  of  the  most  popular  breeds  we  have, 
second  in  widespread  popularity  only  to  the  Norwich,  with  no  competitor  likely 
to  immediately  assail  its  position,  save,  perhaps,  the  trim  and  hardy  little  Border 
Fancy.  Indeed  we  might  go  farther,  and  say  that  the  modern  Yorkshire  evolved 
directly  from  the  Lancashire  stock,  and  was  ultimately  perfected  by  the  intro- 
duction of  Norwich  and  Belgian  blood  to  give  colour  and  style  respectively. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  it  was  doubtless  also  associated  with  the  Continen- 
tal frilled  and  allied  varieties  in  former  days,  and  later  still  with  the  Belgian,  with 
which  it  may  very  probably  have  been  interbred.  Were  the  latter  breed  to  wane 
to  a  dangerously  low  ebb  when  an  introduction  of  alien  blood  was  deemed  essen- 
tial to  its  revival,  it  would  therefore  appear  most  reasonable  to  turn  to  the  Lan- 
cashire for  the  necessary  material,  selecting  from  among  the  Plainheads  yellow 
birds  of  the  thin,  hollow-necked,  fine-headed  type  for  the  purpose. 
COLOUR  AND  MARKINGS. 
Among  the  pure  Lancashires  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  breeders  to  exercise 
their  skill  in  improving  the  quality  and  tone  of  colour  in  the  yellows.  But  as 
markings  are  not  looked  upon  with  favour  by  the  best  breeders,  and  not  encouraged 
on  the  show-bench,  the  indiscriminate  mating  of  two  ticked  birds  is  undesirable.  In 
this  connection  it  appears  to  us  most  probable  that  the  recognition  and  encourage- 
ment of  some  agreed  type  of  markings  would  bear  good  fruit  in  extending  the 
interest  of  the  breed  and  increasing  the  number  of  its  breeders,  and  thereby  bring 
it  out  of  its  circumscribed  area  into  more  general  distribution.  That  the  desir- 
ahility  of  this  latter  point  is  recognised  by  some  of  its  leading  breeders  is  evident 
from  the  appended  notes  for  which  we  have  to  thank  Mr.  W.  Adams,  of  Rochdale. 
