i8o 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



favoured fanciers living in some of those 

 sweet villau'es still kit to iis may be 

 exempt from the necessity of washino' 

 birds, for in sueli ])in'e air. if ])ro]ieriy 

 attended to and a.llo\ved to bathe freei\-, 

 Canaries ean sin'pass in briuiitncss and 

 bloom all that the best washinu' eonid do 

 for those bred, say, in London, Bradford, 

 or Manchester. Most Canaries, however, 

 are town-bred, and snch nnist he washed 

 occasionally to have a chance of success. 

 One good wash will often sulliee for more 

 than one show if the birds are able to 

 haV'C a day between at home so that their 

 show-cages ean be cleaned out or the 

 transfer effected to a fresh one. The ])ro- 

 cess of washinij. however, is very exhausting 

 to the birds, and should on that account 

 not be abused. 



The result of too frequent washing is a 

 kind of giving way of the feathers, which 

 might almost be called a rid)bing- 

 out. and which is very apt to dis- 



Over= 



washing. 



play itself about the back of the 

 neck especially. By these or similar signs 

 a bird which has been subjected to nnieh 

 tubbing can often be recognised at good 

 shows. Ill spite of all this, however, wash- 

 ing being a nceessary evil, let us see how 

 it may be made the best of, for with care 

 nuieh can be accomplished without injiirx' 

 to the feather for a. miinber of times in 

 succession. We li,-i,\'e long rw this Innteil 

 at the propriety of enlisting the aeti\-e 

 sympiilliies of one's '"better half"' in a.ll 

 experiments in Canarydom : and now that 

 we re;icli the Unal stages of getting our 

 birds into proper condition to show. Iliis 

 course is more tli:i,n ever advisable, since 

 the domestic domain is almost nccessarils 

 invaded. if i)reeding. :iii(l rearing, and 

 monlting ha,\<- been snccessfiilh sur- 

 mounted, it will be strange if hoi)es and 

 syiii|);i,tliies ;ire mil excited by this time 

 as To the nltimalc result. 



If t he o|)erator has not seen a, bird washed 

 liy some experienced exhibitor which we 

 ad\ise him to lose no eh:inee of doinn he 

 should not attempt to \\:isli his iiest birds 

 first. .\ common one. or e\(ii a spnrrow, 

 is good enough to practise on at lirst , and 



if successful with one of these confidence 

 is gained, and \\itli it half the liattle. 

 enabling tin- ojierator to tackle the good 

 birds aright. 



First of all. bi'fore o])erations ari.' eom- 



mcneed. if there are children in the house 



it will generalh- be best 



T''^^'"^!!""^ to see them safelv to bed. 



for Washing. 



There are some httle trea- 

 sures, born fanciers, who know how to 

 abide still as mice until need arises, when a 

 little hand will ])ass a warm cloth or other 

 necessary, neither one moment too soon 

 nor too late - no one would think of send- 

 ing Ihrni to bed. But average children are 

 sadly in the way. and all the sjiacc by the 

 fire is badly wanted. ^loreover. washing 

 a small bird requires care, and chatter l)y 

 no means assists the process. While this 

 is being managed, then, let a good lire. 

 free from ash and dust, be made up. and 

 some large vessel full of hot water jilaccd 

 ujion the hob so as to kec]) simmering- 

 Boiling is not necessary, but if many birtls 

 are to be done, plenty of hot water will be 

 wanted thrcjugh the evening. 



A drying-cage is also required. There 



are various forms of such, but wlun at 



all possible bii'ds are best 



^'■yi^e ,i|.i(,,i 1,^. .^ii- heated bv hot 



Cages. 



\vatcr. This is aceoin]>lished 



by lia\iiig a hot-water tank, about .'5 

 ineliis deep. Ki to '20 inclies in length, 

 and 10 or 11 inelies broad. It ean. of 

 course, be larger or smaller as desired. 

 This lank is iiia.ik' eitlur of copper or block 

 tin. and stands on four legs. I- inches high, 

 thus admitting of a, small gas ring or spirit 

 lamp being ])laced beneath the tank. 

 There is a small fniiiiel-slia|)e(l o|)eiiiiig in 

 the lop at one corner \\herel)\ to llll and 

 enipl\ I he tank, and also act as .-in onllel 

 for the steam if the water gets \t'ry hot. 

 This tank can be i)laced on an\' convenient 

 linn piece of furniture, .and on it should 

 stand a, box-shaped cage iiiade of wiiod. 

 with a, wire bottom and front. To form 

 Ihis bottom, lirsl make a wire frame the 

 si/e of the inside measiircminf s of the cage, 

 and stretch a ])iccc of stout llannelcttc over 

 it : then llx this rii'inU in the cage at 



