I30 



captured by you. So much for the Chaffinch in a state 

 of freedom. 



After the severe weather of February last Chaffinches 

 might be procured in almost unlimited numbers. 



In choosing a bird, endeavour to obtain one answer- 

 ing as nearly as possible to the following description, 

 viz. : A good big broad head, well set on a somewhat 

 prominent neck ; beak horizontal ; body thick through 

 chest and round girth at point of shoulder ; body 

 tapering cone-shaped to the tail; both under and upper 

 tail coverts well grown ; plumage well filled in all 

 round ; tail and wing flights well wrapped up and 

 carried neatly ; colours of head and body clear and 

 distinct ; plenty of sheen and lustre in the metallic 

 shades (so beautiful in a well-developed bird) ; white 

 wing bars and other white parts pure and distinct (which 

 add greatly to the beauty of an ideal Show specimen); 

 sound in legs and perfect in feet and toes ; active, but 

 not wildly dashing at the wires ; sound in health, and at 

 least in fairly good condition when you secure him. 

 Such a bird will take some beating if moulted well, 

 and you desire to exhibit. 



A cage the size of a single canary breeding cage will 

 do for moulting an exhibition Chaffinch— the perches 

 should be the same distance apart as those you fix in 

 your Show cages. The Show cage will do well if about 

 12 or 13 inches in height, the same in length, and 5 to 5^ 

 inches deep. The wires should be five-eighths or three- 

 quarters of an inch apart, whichever you prefer. 

 There should be two perches, equi-distant from each end 

 and from each other — so as to give the bird free action 

 without damaging his tail or wing feathers. The inside 

 of the cage should be enamelled a deep green, and the 

 outside black. 



When caged, you should feed your Chaffinch in the 

 following manner : As a staple seed diet use Finch and 

 Linnet mixture in combination, and in addition give a 

 quantity of groats and sunflower in separate pans or 

 boxes. For an occasional change in diet you may give 



