50 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



WOODEN DOOR. WIKhU 

 AND FIXED. 



wooden cross-bar into tlic top cross- 

 bar, into whicli they are I'orced to the 

 tk'ptli ol' about I inch : this allows suili- 



c'ient length for 

 the bottom ends 

 of the wires to 

 be drawn down 

 some j^ inch 

 into the bottom 

 cross-bar, thus 

 m a k i n g the 

 wires secure top 

 and bottom. 

 This cage also shows a fixed jiartition 

 with central aperture, on the further side 

 of which is supposed to be the small door 

 hanging on a screw, and turned up out of 

 sight to allow of communication between 

 the two compartments. This door is round 

 in shape, similar to that of the a])erture, 

 but a size larger. Suspended as it is by 

 a screw over the top of the aperture, it is 

 easily opened without flustering the birds. 

 This is accomplished by the following very 

 simple method : with a thin piece of wofxl, 

 suflicientlv long to reach half across the 

 door of the aperture, the bottom of the 

 door is rai-scd until it has revolved far 

 enough on the screw to fall against the 

 back of the cage, when the aperture will 

 be open. It is equally easy to close. 



The middle section shows a wired front 

 whicli can either be a fixture or what is 

 known as a " loose wire front." 

 Loose ],',,p |.||(, f,„.,in.,- \i is inserted in 

 Wire 11,1 



Fronts ^'^^ woodwoi'k, and so becomes 



part, and parcel of the whole. For 

 the latter it is made in one ])iece, and llxcil 

 into tlic to|) and bottom front cross-bars. 

 l"'our, or so, of the ui)right wires are made 

 to project, say, l inch at the top and 1 inch 

 at the bottom, and fitted into iioles in tlic 

 top and bottom cross-bars. The doors 

 swing on a stout u|)right wire Tlicsc 

 fronts are easily reino\cd by a htth' u|)- 

 ward pressure of the lingers at the top, and 

 arc obviously a great im])rovcmcnt upon 

 the lixed wire fronts. They alTiml easy 

 access to the cage for purposes of cleaning, 

 washing or re-painting. The up|icr portion 

 of the jiartilion in this section I'ornis a 



slide which, when withdrawn, converts the 

 cage into a " flight." 



The top section illustrates the cage with 

 a similar locjse 

 wire front, but 

 with square, 

 sliding, self- 

 closing doors, 

 which, though 

 not so orna- 

 mental, are 

 easier of con- 

 struction, and 

 answer t h e i r 



purpose equally well. We are inclined, in- 

 deed, to give preference to these do(jrs, as 

 they are not so likely to get out of order 

 as the arched door shown in the middle 

 section. The precise construction of the 

 square door is more clearly indicated in 

 the illustration at the head of this column. 



The front is made in two jiortions, one 

 for each compartment, which is nmch the 

 easier way to make the loose wire fronts 

 for (loid)le cages, and they answer ecpially 



SLUJING WIRE DOOR. 



LOOSE \VU<E EKOM FOR SINGLE BREEDING 

 G.VGE. 



as well as one large front to cover the two 

 com])artnients. \\\ illustration of a loose 

 front for a single compai'tincnt is lu're 

 given. The whole of the partition in this 

 section is movable between the top and 

 l)i)ttom front cross-bars. It will thus be 

 seen that there a.i'c two kinds ol' fi'inils 

 which mav be used lor our cage the 



(ixed "" and " loose."' 



l''anciers who m;iy prefer a li\cd fiMut 

 should jirocced as loijows : — Plane up three 

 j)ieces of yellow ])inc, American \vhite wood, 

 or mahoiianv, or whatever wootl ol' which 



