138 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



Flight Cages. 



more than this : tlicy represent certain 

 elements evolved iroin raw material he 

 has been passiiifj tlii(>ui;li tiic crucible, 

 and are intended to be conil)ined with 

 other elements, also dnly labelled and 

 marked with sniidry liicr()i;ly|»liics iiidi- 

 catinij their character, whence sprnn<^', 

 and what capable ol' cITcctinff. There 

 must be no conl'iisidii and no mistakes — 

 nothing' left to memory ; every bird's 

 j)edigree and ajj'e should be registered on 

 the bird itself. 



The reason we prefer the ring is because 

 it is handy for reference at all ages of 

 the l)ird, whereas with both the notching 

 and marking of the wing feathers, since 

 these feathers are shed by the birds, the 

 mai'ks are lost after the first season. It 

 is then dillieult to recognise special birds. 

 |)articularly those with clear |)lumage. 



Sonic fanciers use enormous flight cages, 

 7 or 8 feet long, ti or more feet high, and 

 (if like \\idth. into which 

 tlicy turn thii'ty or forty 

 youngsters. These ma \' scrxc fur cdunnon 

 Canaries to frolic abmit in (tlidugh 

 we are not c(in\incc(l th;it tlic\' ai'c 

 best even fur llicsc). but wc lung ago 

 decided that smaller lliglit cages with 

 fewer inmates are pid'crablc for high-class 

 slock. J{y smallci' lliglils. wc mean cages 

 4 or .5 feet long. 1(> or IS inches high, and 

 10 or n inches wide. If ten or twelve 

 youngsters arc put in such (lights they 

 will do inlieli lieller. The linbil of |)liicking 

 is also not so pre\alen1 ;nnongst small 

 groups as when lar'ger Tunubcrs ai'c kc|)t 

 together. They can get plenty of exercise 

 to (lexclop their fr:ime. wilhonl it being 

 exhaust i\i-. ;uh1 .i h.-ickw :ird bird. morco\cr. 

 stands a nnieli belter cli.'ince of gainint'' 

 strenglli and gener;d condition where 

 nund)ers ar-e limited. In llie first eight 

 weeks of young birds" lives these two 

 fuel ors arc esseni \:\ 1. 



Wc arc not alone in otu' views on the 

 advantages of the smaller llights. Mr'. 

 I!. I.. Crisp, of Chelsea. I he well-known 

 bleeder .md exhibitor of ^dI•kshires, and 

 Ml. .1. 'I'yson, of Chelsea, I lie noted Crest 

 fancier, not only share our opinions on 



Over= 

 crowding 



this ])oint, but have backed them up by 

 having their very large flights made smaller. 

 jMr. C. L. Qiiinton, of (Jrcat V:uinoutli. 

 one of our oldest breeders of CiTinamons, 

 Norwich, and Crests, also adopts such llights 

 for the young, and also for moulting his 

 bii-ds in. The rcatler nuist reinend)er 

 that when we refer to large flights we do 

 not refer to aviaries proper. 



Over-crowding, too, nnist l)c avoided, 

 in either large or medium size flights, and 

 ample ])ereh accommodation 

 provided. Perches, however, 

 should not be too close to- 

 gether, as if one bird can reach the tail of 

 anotlu'r standing on an opposite perch, 

 the tcmjitation will often induce it to pluck 

 the tail fi'athers out. It is the want of 

 ample ])erch I'oom that fi'e(|iunt ly leads 

 to ()uarrclling and mischief. JJiids like 

 their own particular corners and i)lacis to 

 sit and roost in. and conmience cai'ly in 

 life the business t>t elbowing their ncigh- 

 boui's who get in their way. When there 

 is space at command, another kind of con- 

 struction is oltcn arranged called by many 

 fanciers a " flight."' but which in I'cality 

 is an a\ia!'\. A portion of the bird-room 

 is parlilioncil olT and enclosed with w ii'c 

 netting. .Such a place rc(|uires no descrip- 

 tion, as it nnist be left entirely to circum- 

 stances: but ;i little ingenuity, a lew stri|)s 

 of wood, and .-i few ynrds of Hiie gaUanised 

 nelling. nii\<'d up jinlicioiisly, ought to 

 do a great dc.-il. ( )l' course, in such a con- 

 struction (lie door iiiiisl lie made kirge 

 cnouLlli to ;illo\\ :\ person lo |iass in to 

 caleli birds. clc;in out :ind pcrrorni other 

 duties: but young birds ought ii<it to be 

 turned into even such .-i pkice as lliis 

 lliilil llic\ .-ii-e well on lo hard sei-il. .■iiid 

 si roiig on the wing. Hii'ds of a. (|iiicl, 

 kindly disposition, tli.il will imt dercnd 

 themselves, arc lieller kepi in e;iges. 



The a\i;ir\' or lliglil. wlictlier large or 

 small, should be ki'pt scrupulously clean ; 

 the perches should be arranged so that the 

 birds, when llicy alight on them, or arc 

 roosting, cannot soil olliers on the lower 

 perches with their exert!, i. It this c\ il 

 is not iiiiartlcd ajiainsl the whole of the 



