The Scott Archive: transporting birds to shows
The following extracts are taken from an article written by John Scott that was published in Cage and Aviary Birds on 18 February 1995.... Read More
History
History Part 3: the refugee’s tale
Yet more violence and bloodshed in the history of the fine spangled sort of canary. The illustration from Paris Illustré (1) shows a scene from the dragonnades: the arrest of a Huguenot family at sword point.... Read More
The curious case of the Lizard’s scales
Not the scales of a lizard, but of the Lizard. The Scale of Points for Lizard Canaries (to give it its official title) has been around for more years than any living person has been breeding them. It is so well established that we never question its origins and assume things were always so, but […]... Read More
The angel and the canary
It’s Christmas eve; we will soon be celebrating the nativity, but I am going to remind you of how it started: with the annunciation. In this triptych*, the archangel Gabriel appears before the virgin Mary to tell her of the forthcoming birth of a son. Notice anything unusual about the angel, and the rosette of angels in the […]... Read More
The Museum Tavern
Visiting London – fancy a drink? London has more bars than Handel’s Messiah, but if you are a bird keeper and fascinated by the legend of the London Fancy canary, there is one that is sure to hit the right note: the Museum Tavern on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury.... Read More
Lizard canary basics, Part 5: the perfect cap
“Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it”. Salvador Dali It might seem strange that I should return to the subject of the cap, not long having discussed the various forms of cap in some detail, but that is the nature of the Lizard canary: you can never stop looking and learning. This time, […]... Read More
History Part 1: The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
It is not often that you will find an article on canaries illustrated by an engraving of a mass murder, but believe me, it is relevant to the history of the fine spangled sort.... Read More