Mjl ]ii(fi(in ('()ii!ii()>nitcnt . 203 



a most, iiiipoi'laiit liraiicli. iiicalinijr olV, what I iiii|,'-|il call stock. 

 and travelling cages aii rc(|niio a gix'at iical 'oT tliiiikiiit;- imi, 

 especially if one has to pay a good deal of altciifion to culling 

 down expenses, luiviiig due regard to eilicieiicy. 'J'lu; birds 

 must have sunieicnt i-ooni, yet freightage has to be considered, 

 very much so. Tinie spent in one's leisure moments (not 

 many nowadays) (.n devising and carrying out little labour- 

 saving jims brings its rewai'd later, especially on board shij), 

 where one has !(■ do eA'crything oneself. Even one's hirctl men 

 appreciate such tilings, when they once have got the hang of 

 them. In my travelling cages fo)- small insectivorous birds, 

 which have to be carried in separate compartments, ihere ai'e 

 six compartments in a row ; to save labour one tin is made 

 to serve two compartments. On a journey one cannot be 

 always opening doors to put in food and water. A two -inch 

 bar of wood runs all along the bottom part of the front of 

 the cage, leaving a half -inch gap for trays. In these Cood- 

 bars as I call them, arc cut five holes to take the tins, four 

 by one and a quarter inches, placed so that each of the six 

 compai'tments has half a tin. Each tin has a strip of tin sol- 

 dered across the middle, this reaches neither to the top nor 

 to the bottom, and does not interfere with cleaning, but does 

 stop birds going into another compartment. The outer com- 

 partments have smaller holes; two by one and a quarter. 

 towards the outer ends. The compartment divisions are of 

 wood for two and a half inches from the bottom, leaving a 

 half -inch gap necessary for the trays, which for this cage 

 run three to a row and are all interchangaable. In these 

 division -bars at the front end are cut holes to take the tins, 

 which are a trifle und(,'r two and a half inches wide. Along 

 these bars through staples or better still between right angle 

 screws (men^tioned later) runs a bit of punched Ijar " front " 

 one inch wide. The bottom wire is prolonged to go through 

 a groove in the food bar and turned up into a convenient 

 sort of little handle just in front of the bottom of the food 

 itin. When the tin is pulled out, this prevents birds going 

 mto other compartments; short strips of punch bar soldered 

 at right angles to the slide so as to rest just behind the tin 

 prevent the birds getting out. I fear this is not very clear 

 and may seem difficult to make, but in these days of punched 



