342 
Our  Canaries 
shape,  and  other  qualities  ;  and  whilst  it  is  in  fewer  hands,  principally  owing  to 
the  high  price  it  commands,  there  is  every  prospect  of  its  becoming  as  popular  as 
ever.  It  is  regularly  sought  after  at  home  and  in  the  Colonies,  in  Canada  and 
the  United  States  of  America,  and  breeders  have  only  to  secure  a  few  pairs  of  the 
proper  stamp  to  give  the  Scotch  Fancy  a  footing  it  never  had  before." 
FOR  AND  AGAINST. 
One  of  our  oldest  Scotch  Fancy  enthusiasts,  Mr.  W.  McClure,  of  Glasgow, 
sums  up  the  Scotch-Belgian  position  in  the  course  of  the  following  remarks,  which 
he  has  kindly  sent  us.  "  I  have  been  a  devotee  of  the  bird  o'  circle  since  the 
seventies.  When  I  commenced  the  '  Glasgow  Don  '  was  more  a  bird  of  circle  than 
the  present  type.  The  Belgian  was  introduced  before  this  time  to  give  more  pro- 
minence to  the  shoulder  and  droop  of  the  head.  In  those  days  you  required  to 
have  two  or  three  crosses  out  from  the  Belgian  before  you  had  a  bird  fit  for  the 
show  bench — large,  long  body,  well  filled-in  back,  tail  under  perch,  and  plenty  o£ 
nerve  or  action.  The  Belgian  has  given  the  Scotch  Fancy  more  top  and  a  better 
droop  of  the  head,  but  at  the  expense  of  size  and  length  of  body,  and  the  birds 
are  more  tapered,  or  pear-shaped,  now  than  in  the  old  days,  - 
"  In  mating,  whenever  possible  put  an  upstanding  square-topped  bird  to  one 
with  a  good  curve,  and,  as  far  as  otherwise  suitable  always  the  best  to  the  best- 
In  starting  the  Fancy  it  is  best  to  go  to  a  reliable  breeder  and  get  a  pair  from  his 
winning  strain  and  ask  him  to  match  them  for  you.  They  may  not  be  up  to 
exhibition  quality,  but  you  have  the  breeder's  expert  knowledge  in  the  selection 
and  matching  of  the  pair,  and  may  breed  something  good.  If  possible  get  a 
second  pair  from  another  breeder,  and  you  can 'cross  these  and  their  progeny  the 
following  year  without  getting  fresh  stock. 
"  To  summarise  the  points  of  the  Belgian  cross  we  have  in  its  favour  :  that 
it  gives  a  nice  low  droop  and  snaky  head  to  the  Scotch  Fancy,  and  more  thickness 
through  the  top  or  shoulder.  Against  it :  that  it  shortens  the  body  and  gives 
much  more  taper  on  the  head ;  has  a  tendency  to  openness  between  the  shoulders,-, 
and  loses  the  graceful  movement  for  which  the  Scotch  Fancy  is  famed." 
The  views  of  Mr.  John  Pringle,  of  Selkirk,  upon  the  modern  type  and  its- 
requirements  are  thus  briefly  set  forth  :  "  You  must  have,  to  begin  with,  a  bird 
well  set  back  on  legs,  not  stilty  and  straight  as  in  the  Belgian.  It  then  shows  the 
circle  to  full  advantage.  You  must  have  plenty  of  both  nerve  and  action,  as  a 
bird  cannot  show  to  advantage  without  them.  A  good  bird  should  spring  to- 
attention  as  soon  as  the  cage  is  lifted,  and  draw  himself  up,  showing  every  point 
as  fully  as  possible.  The  depth  of  bird  through  the  chest  is  the  most  difficult  to 
get,  as  there  is  always  a  tendency  to  run  thin  in  that  part.  But  a  distinction 
must  be  drawn  between  feather  and  actual  thickness.  The  craze  for  large  birds 
has  resulted  in  their  running  coarse  in  feather,  and  many  a  one  is  believed  to  be 
thick  through  the  chest  when  it  is  only  a  case  of  coarse  feathers  hanging  loose  in. 
