Our  Canaries 
313 
CHAPTER  XXI. 
THE     DUTCH  FRILL. 
THERE  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  Dutch  Frill  is  one  of  a  series  of  un- 
developed varieties  which  have  long  been  bred  in  various  places  on  the 
Continent,  and  which  have  occurred  as  sports  from  the  common  type  of  singing 
Canary.  One  of  the  best  Continental  authorities,  Baron  du  Theil  de  la  Rochere, 
clearly  asserts  that  it  originated  from  crossing  birds  with  a  certain  natural  wavi- 
ness  of  plumage,  called  "  Duvetes,"  which  first  attracted  attention  somewhere 
about  75  to  80  years  ago.  This  sport  is  said  to  have  occurred  in  Holland,  from 
whence  it  gradually  spread  to  several  other  centres  of  interest,  in  each  of  which 
its  admirers  seem  to  have  set  to  work  to  develop  the  bird  on  lines  in  accordance 
with  their  own  tastes  and  ideas.  It  was  introduced  into  France  in  1850  as  a  large 
type  of  "Malinois,"  or  singing  Canary.  On  reaching  Belgium  it  was  crossed  with 
the  high-shouldered  Belgian,  which  later  on  found  a  large  body  of  admirers  in  the 
north  of  France,  who  cultivated  this  type,  whilst  the  first  breeders  remained  true 
to  the  "  Malinois  "  type,  and  Parisian  breeders  combined  the  two  general  types 
and  cultivated  the  bird  solely  for  its  frilled  and  ruffied  plumage.  In  France 
alone  there  were  two  distinct  types  in  favour  in  different  districts  at  the  same  time, 
besides  which  there  were  several  more  or  less  distinct  variations  being  bred  in 
other  places.  Thus  the  birds  varied  in  size  ;  in  position,  some  being  of  a  stilty, 
stylish  Belgian  type,  and  others  of  a  curved  type  more  resembling  the  Scotch 
Fancy;  in  plumage,  some  being  bred  solely  for  frilled  feathers,  whilst  the  frilling 
in  others  was  of  a  somewhat  primitive  type ;  and  also  in  name,  for  its  various 
names  are  known  in  their  respective  localities  as  Dutch  Frills,  French  Ruffles, 
Trumpeters  and  Parisians. 
VARIOUS  OPINIONS  OF  THE  ORIGIN. 
On  the  other  hand,  according  to  Mons.  L.  Van  der  Snickt,  a  Continental 
authority,  the  variety  is  practically  unknown  in  Holland,  whilst  a  French  author, 
M.  Jules  Janin,  in  a  work  published  in  1853,  says  that  the  Dutch  Canary  was  first 
bred  in  Holland,  and  had  only  been  introduced  into  France  twenty  years  previously, 
or  in  1833.  However  that  might  have  been,  the  home  of  the  breed  would  appear 
to  be  Belgium,  and,  later,  France,  in  which  place  it  seems  to  have  been  very 
popular  for  many  years.  It  is  still  largely  bred  in  Paris,  where  exhibitions  are 
held  every  year,  and  the  birds  there  are  said  to  be  larger,  as  a  rule,  than  those 
bred  round  about  Roubaix,  whilst  in  the  latter  place  crested  specimens  are  found, 
which  do  not  exist  in  Paris.  For  purpose  of  exhibition  the  birds  are  divided  into 
eight  classes,  which  correspond  with  our  own  classification  of  yellow  cocks,  buff 
cocks,  yellow  variegated  cocks,  and  buff  variegated  cocks,  with  the  same  classes 
for  hens.    In  size  they  are  large,  measuring  18  to  20cm.  from  point  of  beak  to  end 
CO 
