Our  Canaries 
Gloag,  Lockney,  Mann,  Mather,  Needham,  Rainbow,  Robson,  Sawyer,  Slater, 
Stokes,  Verrell,  and  Vincent,  who  in  the  eight  years  exhibited  something  hke  200 
specimens  between  them,  the  greatest  number  in  any  one  year  being  33  in  1897. 
DECLINING  DAYS. 
During  this  period  many  good  ones  were  exhibited.  Then  followed  a  period  of 
oblivion,  no  classes  being  provided  till  1907,  when  the  L.C.B.A.  gave  two  classes 
and  also  in  the  two  following  years  1908  and  1909,  and  at  the  Jubilee  Show  under 
the  L.P.O.S.  at  the  Crystal  Palace  a  class  was  provided,  and  the  total  in  these 
classes  was  26,  owned  by  Miss  Gibbons,  Messrs.  Barker  Clegg,  Filby,  Tyson, 
and  Rev.  Wilton.  The  birds  of  the  present  day  are  much  about  where  they  were 
in  1899,  with  this  important  exception,  that  the  bodies  are  much  clearer,  and  they 
are  certainly  stronger.  In 
the  Spring  of  1909,  I  sold  a 
pair  to  a  fancier  in  Leicester, 
who  put  them  in  an  outdoor 
aviary  where  they  reared 
young,  and  when  writing  to 
me  the  following  year  he 
said,  '  All  the  birds  have 
wintered  well  outside,  in  fact 
have  done  much  better  than 
my  Norwich  birds.'  And  a 
fancier  in  Dublin,  to  whom  I 
sent  a  pair,  says,  '  They  are 
evidently  much  stronger 
than  those  of  about  25  years 
ago.' 
"  At  the  present  time 
there  must  be  about  100 
specimens  in  existence,  scat- 
tered about  in  various  districts  : — London,  Lancashire,  Leicestershire,  Gloucester, 
Lowestoft,  Lincolnshire,  Yorkshire,  Dublin,  and  Ross-shire;  the  number  of 
fanciers  breeding  them  being  so  far  as  I  can  gather  a  dozen.  It  has  never,  during 
tlie  last  30  or  40  years  at  any  rate,  been  taken  up  by  many  breeders  ;  the  fact  of  its 
l)eing  essentially  a  fancier's  bird,  and  a  one  season  show  bird,  may  be  against  it. 
Yet  what  interest  there  is  almost  from  the  time  the  egg  chips  ;  through  the  fledging 
and  moulting  time,  watching  the  dark  feathers  go  and  the  light  ones  come  ;  until  at 
last  one  sees  the  perfect  picture  of  black  and  gold. 
"  In  pairing  I  prefer  to  select  for  clear  body  first,  as  I  find  that  more  difficult 
to  obtain  than  the  dark  wings  and  tail.  It  is  more  trouble  to  get  the  dark  out  than 
to  increase  it.    I  prefer  jonque  and  mealy,  but  often  pair  two  mealies.     I  ring  all 
