Our  Canaries 
stretching  out  its  neck,  and  take  up  position.  Be  very  careful  and  not  overdo  this ; 
about  five  or  six  minutes  every  day  for  a  week  should  be  quite  sufficient." 
An  open  show  cage  similar  to  that  used  for  Belgians  or  Lancashires  is  the 
most  suitable  for  exhibiting  the  Dutch  Frill. 
FRILLS   IN   THE   FAR  WEST. 
Responding  to  our  request  for  information  upon  the  history  of  the  Dutch  Frill 
in  the  West  Indies,  where  it  seems  to  have  been  very  common  for  many  years, 
Mr.  Louis  de  Ganges,  of  Trinidad,  writes  us  :  "  It  is  very  difficult  to  say  by  what 
means  the  Canary  was  first  introduced  into  the  Island,  but  it  probably  owes  its 
existence  here  to  the  many  European  colonists  who  have  made  this  their  Island 
home,  and  to  the  Portugese  colonists  from  the  Island  of  Madeira  who  are  in  a  great 
measure  responsible  for  its  introduction.  At  one  time  the  Portugese  community 
held  the  best  class  of  Frills  in  the  Island,  which  were  constantly  strengthened  by 
repeated  importations  from  Madeira.  But  recently  these  birds  have  been  entirely 
superseded  by  the  regular  importations  of  our  breeders  from  Continental  and 
English  dealers,  who  have  supplied  us  with  very  fine  typical  specimens.  With  us 
the  Belgian  type  is  most  in  favour,  but  with  this  difference,  that  the  head  should 
be  a  little  more  upright,  as  they  generally  seem  to  carry  their  heads  a  little  too  low. 
The  kind  of  bird  we  strive  after  is  one  possessing  large  bone,  plenty  of  frills,  and 
having  a  fine  pose,  with  a  long,  snaky  neck,  nice  rounded  head,  bold  looking  eyes, 
with  short  and  thick  beaks.  The  colours  preferred  are  cinnamon-marked  or  clears, 
the  frilling  in  such  birds  being  seen  to  better  advantage  than  in  darker  birds."  In 
the  last  named  particular  it  will  be  seen  that  the  taste  of  the  Trinidadians  differs 
from  the  English  ideal. 
STANDARD    OF  PERFECTION. 
The  following  continental  standard  of  points  for  judging  Dutch  Frills, 
translated  and  submitted  by  Baron  du  Theil  de  la  Rochere,  is  the  one  approved 
by  English  breeders. 
Points. 
Size  :  As  large  as  possible    lo 
Attitude:  Elegant,  slightly  curved,  without  a  humpy  appearance,  and 
well  elevated  on  the  legs    lo 
Feathers:  (ist)  Long,  fine,  and  silky.    These  should  be  parted,  falling 
symmetrically  down  the  back  :  called  the  mantle    8 
(2nd)  Those  on  the  chest,  undulating  (or  wavy  like)  converging 
to  the  centre  in  the  shape  of  a  shell,  called  the  "  craw  "         ....  10 
(3rd)  Those  to  the  right  and  left,  forming  two  very  fine  bunches 
of  feathers  in  the  region  of  the  thigh-bone,  well  formed  and 
frilled  up:  these  are  called  fins.    If  these  last  frills  exist  on  one 
side  only,  or  if  the  feathers  are  flowing  down,  and  not,  as  it  were, 
aff"ording  a  support  for  the  wings,  the  bird  is  not  a  show  bird.  12 
