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Our  Canaries 
CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE   NORWICH  PLAINHEAD. 
PROBABLY  no  variety  has  gone  through  so  many  changes  and  vicissitudes  and 
yet  held  its  position  as  one  of  the  most  popular  and  widely  cultivated  breeds 
as  the  one  which  takes  its  name  from  the  eastern  city.  Fifty  years  ago  it  was  one 
of  the,  if  not  actually  the,  most  widely  kept  breed,  and  to-day  almost  the  same 
remark  would  apply,  notwithstanding  that  during  the  interval  it  has  been  the 
subject  of  some  of  the  fiercest  controversies  which  have  raged  among  fanciers  at 
various  times,  and  that  more  than  one  newly  created  fancy  variety  has  sprung  up 
in  the  meantime  and  pushed  its  way  into  the  front  rank  of  popular  favourites.  Yet 
through  it  all  the  Norwich  Plainhead  has  lost  none  of  its  prestige,  and  its  general 
type  and  quality  have  been  steadily  improved  in  the  course  of  years — the  Norwich 
of  to-day  being  more  thick-set,  larger,  and  in  most  respects  an  improvement  on 
the  old  type  of  former  times.  Where  the  old  type  scored  most  over  the  present 
was  in  colour,  and  short,  tight,  close-fitting  plumage  ;  points  which  were  somewhat 
neglected  for  a  time  during  the  craze  for  size  and  the  rage  for  the  hottest  possible 
colour,  which  it  was  sought  to  produce  by  colour  feeding  rather  than  by  paying 
scrupulous  attention  to  breeding  for  it.  Now,  however,  these  points  are 
receiving  much  greater  attention  and  the  long,  coarse  feathered  birds  are  seldom 
seen. 
THE  APPROVED  TYPE. 
The  ideal  Norwich  Plainhead  must  be  not  more  than  6^  inches  in  length,  of 
a  thick-set,  chubby,  wedge-shaped  type,  somewhat  favouring  the  Bullfinch  in  shape, 
with  a  round,  full  and  neat  head ;  a  short,  thick,  chubby  neck,  merging  gracefully 
into  a  broad,  full  chest,  and  a  short,  chubby  body,  with  a  wide  and  well  filled  in 
back ;  the  wings  and  tail  short,  compact  and  well  carried,  the  wings  being  well 
braced  to  the  body  and  just  meeting  at  the  tips,  but  never  crossing;  the  legs  well 
set  back,  and  both  these  and  the  feet  free  from  coarseness  and  clear  in  colour ;  and 
the  plumage  short,  close-fitting  and  perfectly  free  from  any  coarseness  or 
roughness  at  the  sides,  thighs,  or  around  base  of  tail.  It  should  be  of  a  soft  and 
silky  texture,  with  a  brilliant  sheen,  and  a  rich,  bright,  deep,  pure  colour  throughout. 
The  rotundity  of  the  head  must  be  well  finished  off  with  a  short  stout  beak,  clear 
in  colour,  and  the  whole  bird  gracefully  proportioned,  free  from  any  angularity,  and 
although  stoutly  must  not  be  clumsily  built.  The  bird  should  stand  well  across 
the  perch,  a  somewhat  Robin-like  attitude  being  the  most  typical  poise,  showing 
plenty  of  body  and  chest  in  front  of  its  perch.  Indeed,  in  looking  for  the  ideal 
type  it  is  a  safe  rule  to  endeavour  to  get  as  much  of  the  bird  as  possible  in  front  of 
the  perch,  and  as  little  as  possible  behind  it.  Though  one  of  our  richest  colour 
breeds  too  much  importance  must  not  be  attached  to  colour  in  adjudging  the 
