Our  Canaries 
good  buff  Plainhead  cock.  It  was  a  grand  bird,  a  giant  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  This  bird  won  two  successive  years  in  its  native  birthplace  under  the  best 
Lancashire  judge  of  the  day.  For  many  years  I  was  the  only  breeder  of  Lanca- 
shires  in  the  West  for  many  miles  around  here,  and  as  the  variety  was  not  catered 
for  in  this  part  of  the  country,  I  was  obliged  to  exhibit  in  the  A.O.V.  classes. 
But  for  the  past  twelve  years  Bristol  has  given  good  classification,  with  good 
Specials,  Challenge  Bowls,  &c.,  and  by  this  means  has  induced  other  Western 
Societies  to  cater  for  them." 
THE  GOOD  AND  THE  BAD. 
'*  My  experience  has  been  very  varied.  Sometimes  a  good  season  as  regards 
numbers  with  nothing  specially  of  note  ;  another  season  may  perhaps  turn  out  good 
specimens  but  not  so  many  in  numbers ;  and  yet  another  may  be  wholly  bad.  I 
remember  one  season  breeding  two.  This  is  when  one  may  be  termed  a  fancier. 
By  sticking  to  your  guns,  plodding  on  and  on,  success  is  bound  to  be  attained. 
My  sole  aim  has  been  to  stick  to  the  pure,  old-fashioned  bird,  keeping  right  away 
from  anything  to  contaminate.  If  you  dip  into  dark  blood,  you  will  certainly 
lose  that  length  and  giant-like  carriage  so  essential  in  the  ideal  bird.  If  my 
birds  begin  to  fail  in  head  properties  I  keep  to  the  pure  blood  to  rectify  this, 
selecting  my  very  best  buff  cock  bird  {i.e.  one  of  big  frame  and  good  length  of 
body,  perfectly-formed  head  and  Coppy),  and  pair  to  a  yellow  Coppy  hen  of  good 
length  of  body  (not  stout),  with  a  Coppy  of  best  finish  and  nice  quality  feathers. 
This  has  been  my  method  of  double-Coppying,  and  the  result  has  been :  large, 
stout  birds,  some  perfect  Coppies,  large  Plain  heads,  and  *  mops.'  Most  of  these 
are  very  useful  birds,  and  if  you  are  working  with  pure  Lancashire  blood,  you  may 
look  for  pleasing  results  from  this  stock." 
TO  GET  LENGTH. 
"  To  maintain  the  length  of  the  Lancashire  select  two  Plainheads  having 
large  heads.  Pair  the  result  with  the  *  mops '  from  double-Coppy  parents.  If 
you  have  to  wait  a  season  or  two,  your  patience  will  be  rewarded  in  the  end.  I 
have  in  my  mind's  eye  a  typical  Plainhead  yellow  cock,  with  feather  like  satin,  a 
long-sided  bird,  i.e.  great  length  from  shoulder  to  tip  of  wing,  well  up  on  legs  (which 
means  not  crouched  or  squatty  on  perch)  plenty  of  body  and  tight-fitting  jacket. 
I  paired  this  to  its  aunt,  a  fine  buff  Coppy,  and  the  result  was  most  pleasing. 
"  In  breeding  with  this  bird  it  is  wise  to  be  fully  equipped  with  a  good  stock 
of  feeders,  or  foster  parents.  These  are  mostly  needed  with  young  hens,  as  some- 
times they  are  not  reliable,  especially  with  their  first  nest.  A  plan  I  have  found 
satisfactory  is  to  select  your  foster  that  may  be  ready  to  nest  three  or  four  days 
after  your  Lancashire  has  laid  her  last  egg.  Set  your  foster  and  most  likely  it 
will  feed  four  days  longer  and  get  young  ones  strong  before  wanting  to  go  to  nest 
again." 
