234 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 10, 1860. 
fortnight previous to the Show to choose umpires. Therefore, 
every subscriber who doth not attend, shall be subject to the 
expense of Is. each night, towards the expense of those who 
attend to settle the business, which shall be paid at the close of 
the subscription into the hands of the Treasurer, there to remain 
till the third Meeting night, and then to be spent.” 
Erom the perusal of this set of rules, or articles, drawn up by 
the London Canary Fanciers, to take effect in May, 1779, it is 
evident that the love of these birds must then have been deeply 
implanted in our grandfather and great-grandfather fanciers, and 
that the London Fancy Canary must then have been brought to 
great perfection. 
This variety is evidently an offset from the Lizard Canary, 
long and careful breeding and selecting has brought it to a high 
state of perfection. The London Fancy Canary in its plumage 
presents three different changes of colour, which are rather 
remarkable. 
In its first or nestling feathers it very much resembles a Lizard 
without spangles. The cap, or top of the head, is yellow in the 
Jonque birds, and pale, or whitish, in the Mealy. Their bodies 
being much like a common grey Canary, excepting that those 
that will be Jonque, have more green and yellow mixed in their 
plumage. Any light-coloured patches are not desirable on the 
body, though a little light-coloured down on the rump is con¬ 
sidered a favourable sign. The cap should be quite clean and 
even, without any coloured feathers, or it is called foul or broken- 
capped. If, however, the foul feathers do not touch the beak, it. 
may not be perceptible when the bird has moulted ; but if it 
should touch, or stain, the beak, then it is most likely to re¬ 
main os a blot, or blemish, to the bird. The quill-feathers of 
the wings and tail are very dark, approaching to black: and if 
any of these are white during their first appearance, they are 
designated foul-feathers, and remain a permanent blemish in the 
bird. 
Soon after the bird has attained its growth it commences to 
moult or cast off its nestling-feathers. All except the quill- 
feathers of the wings and tad are renewed the first season. The 
bird is then in its handsomest or exhibition dress. The wings 
and tail not being moulted the first year, remain of their dark 
colour, and contrast beautifully with the new plumage of the 
body, which has assumed the hue of the cap, either Jonque or 
Mealy. On close examination these feathers will, however, 
exhibit traces of their former colour, as parts of the stalk, or 
shafts, of the feather appear dark, which gives the birds a slightly 
grizzled appearance, which, under the inappropriate name of 
spangle, is reckoned as the fourth property. The flue, or down, 
of the feathers also remains grey or dark, and this is also enu¬ 
merated among the additional beauties. Should a wing or tail- 
feather be accidentally knocked or pulled out, it will be replaced 
by a new one of a lighter colour, which, though it may spoil the 
appearance of the bird, yet, if previously a dark feather, it would 
then show some black in the shaft and web, and prove that it was 
not a foul-feather originally. 
Pretty as these Canaries are in their show-feathers, their beauty 
is transient, for at the second moult they cast also their wing and 
tail-feathers; and these assume the same colour as the body, 
only always exhibiting a slight black mark on the quill or shaft, 
and sometimes a little grizzling on the web, or vanes, of the 
feathers. If there is much of this black grizzle in their plumage, 
they are called strong-coloured birds; if very pale and almost 
clean in colour, it is said to be fine, or soft, in feather, and it is, 
I believe, a custom to match a strong with a soft-feathered bird, 
such being considered the best way of maintaining the relative 
proportion of colour in the offspring. If two strong or dark- 
coloured birds were matched together for some generations, they 
would approach the Lizards in colour; and, on the contrary, 
were two soft or clear-feathered birds put together, the young 
in time would have a tendency to become too soft, or light, in 
feather, and they would altogether lose the black ticks (or 
spangles). The blackness of their legs and flue would also dis¬ 
appear, and thus they would lose much of their peculiarity and 
beauties. I must, however, express my opinion, that the fanciers 
of this breed are, in their rules and regulations, too strict and 
exclusive, which has induced much in-and-in breeding, the con¬ 
sequence of which is apparent in the loss of the spangling or 
black ticks on the back, the patchy colouring of many of the 
young birds, the light colour of the down or flue, and the paleness 
of the legs, as well as the diminished size of the birds and their 
weakened constitutions; for I have heard great and numerous 
complaints of the losses fanciers sustain among their stocks. Mr. 
Hook also informed me of a fancier who was for some time very 
successful, but by in-and-in breeding after a time most of his 
birds went blind of one eye. I am sorry to see the fanciers 
departing from the standard of excellence laid down in their own 
rules, and losing sight of the ticks, or spangles, on the back, and 
the dark colour of the legs and down. I think it is much to be 
attributed to their very arbitrary and exclusive rules, which con¬ 
strain the breeders to depend so much on their own stocks. I 
would suggest, that as Lizard and London Fancy are so similar, 
that each might be made useful to improve the other, if a very 
slight cross were introduced. I think that a little of the London 
Fancy blood thrown into the Lizard, would soften their colour 
and improve their spangling; while a slight dash of the Lizard 
in the London Fancy birds would strengthen their constitution, 
bring out the black ticks on the back, which seem nearly to have 
departed, and strengthen the colour generally, so that we should 
hear fewer complaints of patching or foul-feathered young ones. 
Their tails and wings should be more uniform, and their con¬ 
stitutions improved. 
The sketch represents the London Fancy Canary in its show 
plumage, the body being moulted light, while the long feathers of 
the wings and tail still remain dark. 
Fanciers acknowledge two sub-varieties called according to 
their prevailing colour. Those in which the body-plumage is a 
bright yellow, are designated Jonque London Fancy Canaries, 
whereas those ot a paler or whitish body-colour are known as 
Mealy London Fancy birds. Still these sub-varieties are merely 
variations of the same breed.— B. P. Bkent. 
(To be continued.) 
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. 
I have been interested in the mention made of the Red-legged 
Partridge. Having been much in contact with them, I will give 
my experience. 
Twenty-tw'o hatched at a cottage on a common. Tame as 
chickens till September 1st. Two killed by a double shot. Not 
one ever seen afterwards. 
Sixty-four hatched in Gloucestershire. Took to a large patch 
of gorse. Constantly seen there every day. Four killed Septem¬ 
ber 1st. Not one ever seen afterwards. 
Between forty and fifty hatched in County Sligo, Ireland. 
Lived in a small farmyard. One killed September lst.^ Not 
one ever seen afterwards. 
Between forty and fifty hatched in Glamorganshire. So tame, 
the bailiff’s wife had to drive them out of the house. One shot 
on the 1st September. None ever seen afterwards. 
Where do they go ? I have my own theory, but it is so stupid, 
I wish others to give theirs before I publish it.—P ebdeix. 
FEATHER-EATING FOWLS. 
WrtJ.you tell me how I can cure a Dorking cock from pulling 
the white feathers out of the topknots of some Black Polands 
that I have? I have fastened the Polands up, but I find they 
suffer from it, so I have been obliged to let them run out with 
the others. I was advised to cut the spurs off the Dorking 
cock to prevent him repeating the offence.— Arthub. 
[We cannot think cutting the spurs of a cock would in any 
way interfere with his feather-eating propensities. We have 
had repeatedly of late to remark on a disordered state of body 
in fowls, which prompts them to peck at, and eat any part of a 
companion’s body that is exposed, or that is red or raw. This 
habit, or condition, is often the result of feeding on meat, or of 
the continued use of stimulants. It is always accompanied with 
much fever; and an excellent beginning of treatment is a copious 
dose of castor oil, a table-spoonful: one repetition is generally 
a cure. There is, however, something very tempting in the 
centre of the topknot of a Polish cock. We often at Shows 
see the two hens vigorously at work eating it, and if uninter¬ 
rupted they will devour it. It may arise from a disordered 
stomach : or, we have sometimes thought, that as the likeness 
of the long toe of the Heron or Bittern in the water is said, by 
its resemblance to a w®rin, to attract fish ; so, as a somewhat 
diseased topknot is always selected, we have sometimes 
thought the feather that cannot pierce the skin, and, therefore, 
turns and twists under it, may appear to them like an animal, 
and induce the first fatal taste.] 
