<>The London Fancy is thought
to have arisen
as a mutation of the Lizard Canary in the early 1800s.
<>The variety reached
its zenith during the 1840s; the Illustrated London News
of December 12th 1846 recorded an official Society dedicated to the
variety.
The bird was about 5.5 inches in length, had glossy black wings and
tail
with a deep yellow/ orange body. The legs, feet and claws were
all black,
as with the Lizard Canary. However, from its Lizard Canary
ancestors, it
inherited the handicap of only keeping its beautiful show-plumage for a
single season. After moulting for a second time the bird's appearance
deteriorated,
and as such it was an expensive variety to maintain. The London Fancy
gradually
lost favour and the last specimens are thought to have become
extinct
in the 1930s. Many fanciers would love to see this variety
resurrected,
but it would almost certainly depend on another mutation arising
from the Lizard Canary.
<>
UK
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