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Our  Canaries 
THE  BANE  OF  THE  CREST  FANCY. 
Undoubtedly  the  greatest  evil  Crest  fanciers  ever  had  to  contend  with  was  the 
susceptibility  of  the  modern  type  of  Crest  and  Crest-bred  to  blindness.  We  say 
was  advisedly,  because,  although  the  evil  is  still  present  to  some  extent,  we 
honestly  believe  that  under  a  judicious  and  wise  system  of  debarring  all  blind  and 
partly  blind  birds  from  honours  on  the  show  bench,  which  also  has  an  indirect 
effect  in  barring  them  from  the  breeding  cage,  it  is  rapidly  and  surely  becoming 
less  menacing  every  year,  and,  in  all  probability,  a  few  more  years  hence  will  find 
the  Crest  and  Crest-bred  as  free  from  this  distressing  malady  as  any  other  high- 
class  breed,  and  this,  too,  without  any  material  depreciation  of  feather,  size  or 
crest.  The  malady  was  unfortunately  tolerated,  and  blind  or  partly  blind 
specimens  used  in  the  breeding  room  as  long  as  they  were  recognised  and  given  the 
honours  on  the  show  bench,  until  it  had  acquired  so  strongly  marked  a  hereditary 
effect  that  blindness  became  very  general  and  gave  just  cause  for  concern  for  the 
future,  or  the  very 
existence  of  the 
breed.  In  1905  the 
subject  was  taken  in 
hand  in  a  practical 
manner,  and  al- 
though a  few  pro- 
minent breeders 
opposed  the  idea  so 
far  as  to  agitate  for 
the  recognition  of 
partly  blind  birds  on 
the  show  bench,  it 
was  eventually  de- 
cided that  all  blind 
or  partly  blind  birds 
should  be  ineligible 
for  competition.  That  was  undoubtedly  a  wise  step  and  did  more  to  prevent  the 
Crest  from  becoming  extinct  than  any  single  step  ever  taken  in  the  interest  of  any 
breed.  At  the  same  time  a  few  public-spirited  breeders,  convinced  of  the 
hereditary  taint,  determined  to  weed  out  vigorously  all  afflicted  specimens  and 
forego  breeding  with  them.  That  the  sacrifice  this  entailed  at  the  time  has  been 
amply  rewarded  is  shown  in  the  following  notes  which  Mr.  W.  E.  Greeves,  of 
Wrentham,  kindly  favoured  us  with  on  two  occasions. 
Writing  us  in  1905  Mr.  Greeves  says  :— "  My  experience  has  taught  me  that 
blindness  is  hereditary.  I  could  give  facts  to  prove  it.  It  is  increasing  at  an 
alarming  rate  and  if  something  is  not  done,  and  that  quickly,  the  Crest  in  a  few 
A  flat  Crest  should  be  mated  with  a  heavily  feathered,  well  lashed 
Crest-bred,  having  a  massive  dome-shaped  skull." 
