Yesteryear's Comments on Canaries

Abstract

Introduction: In browsing around an old second hand book store in St. Louis I came across a canary book printed probably around 1875, give or take a few years. The pages are brown with age and so bn'ttle I fear by the time I finish taking excerpts for your reading, the book will be falling apart. The front page gives no date but does say, among other things: "The Canary Book. By Robert L. Wallace. Illustrated. Third Edition, Enlarged and Revised, with many new Illustrations. London:" It is 5" x 8" and about 2" thick, so at best you will get only the more interesting facts set forth in those early times. I plan to start with the breeds of canaries of that period and jot down only items of real interest and especially if they are in contrast to what we do today.

Around 1875 labor and pn'nting were cheap and this book abounds in endless instructions and thoughts of the daysomething that would be cut short with present-day costs. Fortunately, I have colored plates, made in England, of canary varieties of that period; also the book has many illustrations which I will attempt to draw for each variety, Please bear in mind the use of the pronoun "I" refers to the author of the book reminiscing-unless it appears under "Personal Comment" at the end of each segment, which wzll be my pearls of wisdom. So, go feed the canaries and then come back to this magazine for some interesting reading on our hobby of yesteryear ....

"Varieties-The common Canary is a bird pretty generally known in most countries throughout Europe. In size and shape it is not much unlike a common Linnet; its colors are yellow, buff, green and green pied or variegated; it is admired chiefly for its song and may be met with at all professional bird dealers; but to those who are known as "true fanciers," birds of this kind are merely regarded as nurses for rearing the more valued and favorite varieties. Consequently they are considered of little value and may be purchased at a low figure, cock birds varying from 3s. 6d. each upwards, the hens usually being sold from ls. 6d. to 2s. 6d. each, much depending upon the time of year and other circumstances. Probably the varieties most highly esteemed among the cognoscenti are those known as the Crested Norwich and Belgian Fancy canaries, and next to these come the London Fancy, Lizards, Cinnamons, clear and variegated Norwich Fancy, Glasgow Dons, or Scotch fancy, Manchester Coppies, Yorkshire Fancy, erc., although many of these so-called varieties are artificially produced and are the result of crossing one variety with another in such a manner as to produce some totally distinct feature, differing in some material points from all known and existing varieties; but I need scarcely point out that it requires great care, judicious management and considerable knowledge and skill to bring about a phenomenon of this description, to say nothing of the time, patience and expense incurred. I will now proceed to describe the different varieties and to point out the distinguishing features in each class; the best method of crossing in order to produce these H.P. Maddin 's rendition of the old sketch found in The Canary Book by Robert L. Wallace. The bird is a Belgian canary of about 1875 features; and to lay down a standard where the different doings of excellence may be readily estimated."

Belgian Canaries

"In my descriptions of the different varieties I will begin with that known as the Belgian canary, which as its name denotes, is a native of Belgium. These birds are bred there in large quantities and exported to different parts of Europe and America and several of our colonies. I have in various ways endeavoured to obtain some information bearing on the origin of these remarkable birds but without eliciting anything reliable; the oldest fanciers in Belgium seem unable to give any satisfactory account of them. I must therefore decline to hazard any remarks of a speculative or theoretical nature in regard to them and will simply treat them in the character of an established variety. This variety of canary has been known and admired in our country for more than 40 years and they are considered the nobility of the canary race. The principal recommendation of a bird of this description is its peculiar form, its large size and graceful and commanding contour. It is a large bird and is variously estimated to measure from 61/i to 7 112 inches or even 8 inches in length, from the point of the bill to the tip of the tail; but few will be found to exceed 7 inches which may be taken as an average size ....

"Belgian canaries are readily acclimated in England and Wales, as also Ireland and Scotland; there is not a great difference in the temperature of these countries .... Belgian canaries are probably the most domesticated of all the tribes of the Fringilla Canaria and on this account they are great favorites with most fanciers.

The Belgians are naturally of a delicate constitution as a rule and appear to be predisposed to asthma and consumption, maladies not easily curable and which carry off the major part of them. They like warmth and if kept in a room where a moderate and regular temperature could be kept up during the coldest period of the year, they no doubt would thrive well and ultimately we may produce a race of birds more vigorous and healthy than those of the present day.

"Another drawback is the enormous price which prize birds of this variety usually bring, more particularly when you consider that the best and hardiest bird of its race would be completely' 'used up'' if it were sent around to compete at every....

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