THE CAGE, 27 



The owner, according to his judgment, may take off the hoop 

 and hang it in the open air, or on the branch of a tree ; but 

 there must always be a spring fastening on the hook, so that the 

 parrot may not itself loosen the hoop and fall down with it. 



The most important, and, at the same time, the most diflScult 

 matter, is the chain and the leg ring by which the parrot is 

 fastened to the stand or hoop. All the parrot chains at 

 present known in the trade are unsuitable. The choice of 

 metal for it is, above all things, critical. Copper, brass, 

 silver, and others are dangerous, owing to the formation of 

 verdigris, and, like iron, are almost too heavy, so that such 

 a chain annoys the bird by its great weight on the foot. 

 Aluminium, which has lately been introduced, offers too slight 

 a resistance to the beak, and would be cut through by it as 

 by pincers. Upon these rocks are wrecked the hopes of 

 finding any other suitable metal. There is yet a greater 

 difficulty with regard to the foot ring, for it presses with 

 the hard edge on the place where it is fixed — that is to say, 

 on the side of the foot where the chain hangs down — and 

 causes painful indurations of the skin, or else rubs it sore, 

 and the fastening can scarcely resist the restless activity and 

 really artist-like skill of the parrot in the use of its beak. 

 Moreover, until the bird has become accustomed to the stand, 

 it is likely to free itself, and do all sorts of mischief in the 

 room, or, perhaps, escape, never to be seen again. 



There is nothing further to be said now than repeat the 

 invitation which I have already addressed, in my above- 

 mentioned ''Manual of the Care, Training, and Breeding of 

 Cage Birds," to those who are skilled in this matter, to consider 

 how to obtain suitable foot chains and rings in which all these 

 evils are avoided, which are thoroughly firm and secure, and, at 

 the same time, so light that they do not painfully burden 

 the bird. It is certainly best, when a speaking parrot is 

 accustomed to the hoop and ring, that it should never designedly 

 be left unchained. For this there are many reasons, and there 

 is, at least, always the danger lest the bird, getting a sudden 

 fright, or otherwise being disturbed from its rest, might fly 

 away through the open window, even if it had sat in the same 

 room for ten years or more. 



