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The best wing-markings of the Variegated birds are those which are perfectly even-that is to say, the same number of cinnamon feathers in each wing, and the corresponding feathers. The eye-markings should either encircle the eye completely or extend backward or forward, or both, from the centre of the eye, these being called "front 99 "back centre or eye-markings, whichever they may happen to be; but those that envelop the eye and which are known as "spectacle" eye-markings, are most prized-a white feather intermixed with the dark feathers in the wings, or a dark feather with the clear feathers, is regarded as a fault. The wing coverlets, saddle and rump feathers, as well as those on the body of the bird, barring eye and wing markings, should all be perfectly clear externally. The underflue feathers about the vent frequently blow dark, and those on the thighs as well, but these are not considered serious blemishes. Neither are dark legs and beaks. I prefer a four-marked bird to a sixmarked bird, as I do not consider a dark feather on each side of the tail an acquisition but rather the reverse.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.-The following standard will be found to give the relative value of the different points of merit, 100 points to be assumed as representing the highest excellence :

STANDARD FOR Judging CLEAR CINNAMON CANARIES.

Points.

Colour, for depth, clearness, purity, richness of tone,
brightness and regularity throughout ..................... 40
Quality and Sheen

Size, for length and substance

Condition and Feather

Contour and Carriage

Saddle

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE MODERN CINNAMON.

THE innovations that have been practiced in late years by many breeders of canaries, in order to increase the size of their birds, have been extended to the Cinnamon Canary, and carried to such an extent as to greatly imperil the chief characteristics of this truly lovely variety of the Canary family. In place of the beautiful Norwich type of Cinnamons, with their peculiar coats of rich orange brown, or deep reddish mahogany hue, we have had established a race of great overgrown mongrels, many of which show almost every point that is objectionable in a good specimen of this breed. A true Cinnamon is a beautiful bird, and its chief and most valued properties are purity of colour and richness and evenness of tone, pervaded by a bright sheeny surface, which should be evenly distributed over the entire plumage; it should be free from stripiness both on the back, breast, and sides of the body.

The true colour may be characterised as a reddish-orange brown, with good under colour, and in the jonques of high merit there should appear a sort of rich ruby colour peering through the ground colour; and in the buffs, or mealies, a rich orange yellow should glint radiantly on the upper surface of the body colouring, almost dazzling in its intensity; particularly when daylight is fading is this peculiarity observable, and it may be held as a sure sign of high breeding. It is in the evening, or on a dull day, that a good Cinnamon bird is

seen in its full beauty; and it is really a bewitching sight to a true lover of this variety.

But those great overgrown, dusky, murky, indefinite-looking objects, with their natural greeny, drabbish, smoky-looking hue, and coarse feather (the worst points that a Cinnamon bird can possibly possess), together with light-coloured throats, pale washy-looking breasts, sides, vents, and rumps, with long greenish, dusky stripes displayed on their backs and sides, fill a genuine admirer of this variety with disgust and loathing. Why sacrifice every quality that a good specimen possesses merely to obtain size? To me it seems simply madness. Size can only be obtained by crossing with the Dutch or Lancashire birds, and the latter is the lineal descendants of the old Dutch canary. In every other feature except size, such a cross tends to detract from the chance of producing a high-class representative of the Cinnamon proper. Get size by all legitimate means that you possibly can, by selection, by breeding from double buffs, by the introduction of an exceptionally good crested-bred bird, inheriting in a large degree the rich colour and fine feather of the Norwich plain-head, but eschew the direct use of the Lancashire plain-head to obtain your object. But the present mode of breeding is first to put a plain-head Lancashire cock with a Norwich Cinnamon hen, and from this cross to obtain green and variegated green cocks, and clear and variegated hens, and Cinnamon variegated occasionally, if the Cinnamon blood be reliable and pure. These birds are crossed with Cinnamon birds again, and green and Cinnamons are produced, but "size! size!" is still the cry, and the Lancashire bird is again resorted to, and this process is .continued until ultimately a three-parts bred Lancashire Cinnamon is produced, with all or most of the faults I have specified, and then cayenne is resorted to, to cover all these defects. Oh, this cayenne! It is really the bug-bear of the fancy, if not the curse of it, and has done so much harm to some breeds that ten years of careful and honest breeding would not suffice to eradicate all the evils which have followed in its train. There is no kind of science in this kind of breeding,

no skill required, no foresight, no brains. It is almost a matter of chance; then why resort to it? Be warned in time, do not destroy one of the loveliest of our varieties for the sake of a whim. Besides, fanciers forget that the Lancashire bird is descended from the Dutch and Belgian birds, and I am sorry to say that many of them have inherited in a large degree the delicacy of constitution inherent in these varieties, such as asthma and tuberculosis, and thus they are unconsciously propagating these disorders also. The original Norwich Cinnamons had the most robust constitutions, but how many of those modern birds are to be found that have sufficient stamina to carry them through three years of breeding operations to say nothing of exhibition specimens? I should say very few. I am a great stickler for type, but the true types of several of our varieties are becoming lost owing to the riding to death of this rampant mania for size, and ere long a new classification will be needed unless the craze can be abated.

If fanciers really do want and admire large mongrel Cinnamons, by all means let them have them, but they should be shown in the " Any other variety class," and not as true Cinnamons. The colour of the genuine Cinnamon canary is so powerful and vigorous that with care and judicious breeding it can be produced in any breed, and Cinnamon Belgians, Cinnamon Scotch Fancies, Cinnamon Lancashires, or Cinnamon Yorkshires could be easily manufactured, but the colour would neither be so fine nor so rich as that found in the Norwich Cinnamons, which after all is the true standard.

At the present time there are first-class specimens of the Scotch Fancy of a Cinnamon colour, and I saw one exhibited at Birmingham, by Mr. Greame, of Brough, Yorkshire, in 1890, a bird, I believe, he purchased in Scotland, and a bird of considerable merit, and in England would be, if properly judged, difficult to beat in a class set apart for Scotch Fancies; but singular to say these sports in colour are all hens. About twenty years ago, or perhaps a little more, I bought a large buffcrested cock, almost a thoroughbred Lancashire, with immense body and a good crest, one of the sturdy thick sort. I put

him with a very high-class Cinnamon hen, my object being to breed evenly-marked and crested Cinnamons, and eventually I succeeded in breeding two splendid specimens, almost perfect, and both out of the same nest. These were the first birds of this variety I had ever seen or heard of, both hens, and probably as perfect as they could possibly be bred. It occurred to me to use some of this blood to get more size into my Cinnamon birds and to increase the head properties, and I succeeded, but at a great sacrifice in colour. I remember sending a bird from this cross to a show at Darlington, and with it two other Cinnamons, in the same class, one a gem of the first water; and to my horror and disgust this big mongrel, as I considered it, was placed first prize, and the best bird second. I put £3 on him as his value, and received a telegram from Mr. Cleminson, of Darlington, asking the lowest price I would accept for him. I declined to accept a less sum, as I wanted him to run with a hen of my best strain of Cinnamons to increase the size; he was claimed, and to this day the bird is known and referred to among the old fanciers in Darlington as "Telegram," that title having been given to him after the event; this happened a good many years ago. I often regretted afterwards that I sent him, as it appeared to awaken a desire among fanciers to have a race of big Cinnamons, to the detriment of the more admirable features possessed by birds of the pure race.

I consider that the Cinnamon canary is essentially a bird of colour, as much or even more so than the Norwich plainhead, and deprived of this special feature it loses its most fascinating charm. True, the colour can be sustained to a great extent by artificial feeding, but it can never be obtained so pure as that produced by high breeding.

I do not desire to be considered so conservative as to be an opponent to improvements, decidedly not; but I must first be convinced of the advantages that are to be gained by crossbreeding. If an increase of size is to be obtained by the sacrifice of points which are far more essential, then I feel myself bound to oppose the innovation. Some limit should be placed

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