EXHIBITING AND WASHING 



i8i 



1 inch to lo- inches Troni the bottom oi' stood upon tiic t;il)lc and the tank fdled 



the sides and back. A very good plan is with boiling watci-. When the birds are 



to nail a narrow strip of wood along the washed after being rolled in the flannel 



inside of the two ends 1 inch from the they are laid on the perforated tray over 



bottom, so that the wire frame can then the tank. After they have been there the 



rest on them and be quite firm. The necessary time they are taken out of the 



reason for thus raising the drying cage flannel and put into the flight, with a 



floor level is to prevent the bird's feet or perforated ti'ay, above where they had 



been h'ing. This is repeated until all 

 the birds are washed. The flight has a 

 glass front, which protects the birds from 



body touching the hot tank. The front 

 of this cage is a movable wire one, with 

 a door in it, or a door can be made in one 

 of the wooden ends. Over 

 the wii-e front a sheet of glass 

 is made to slide in grooves, to 

 keep the heat in the cage 

 and at the same time not 

 obstruct the light. This cage 

 should be made slightly shorter 

 and narrower than the top 

 of the tank, the heat from 

 which rises through the flan- 

 nelette. The temijerature is 

 regulated by a ventilator in 

 the top. It is well to have a 

 thermometer hung inside the 

 cage at the back so that the 

 temperature can be seen at a 

 glance, and it should be re- 

 nrembered that 90 degrees 

 Fahr. is a suitable heat to 

 maintain. 



On this page is illustrated such a cage draughts. The heat from the tank and 

 ready for use, with the glass front over the vapour from the birds can be regu- 



DRVING CAGE. WITH HOT-WATER TANK. 



the wires. The advantage of drying birds 

 in a cage of this kind is that it is im- 

 possible for the birds' feathers to dry 

 "harsh" by heat generated by hot water : 

 furthermore, owing to there being plenty 

 of light, as soon as the birds get partly 

 dry they begin to plume and preen out 

 their feathers. 



In Canary and Cage Bird Life there 

 appeared, on November 5, 1909. another 

 pattern drying cage, heated by a hot- 

 water tank, the work of Messrs. .1. E. 

 Reeves and A. Mallett, and we are indebted 

 to the Editor of that journal for her kind 

 permission to reproduce an illustration of 

 this cage (p. 182), with Mr. Reeves's des- 

 cription of it, which is as follows : " When 



lated and ventilated by a thermometer 

 inside and two 2-inch discs on the toj). 

 The birds can remain in this state till the 

 next day without any fear of getting a 

 chill or of the feathers drying too sharply as 

 before a fire. The idea is that, after birds 

 have been washed and allowed to remain 

 in a space where there is a moist heat, 

 by flying and preening themselves the 

 feathers gradually dry and retain their 

 natural sheen and tight position, as by the 

 ventilation the heat and -s'apour leave as 

 the birds dry. Anyhow, it has proved 

 so after the many successful trials we have 

 made. Work worth doing is worth doing- 

 well. The following are the dimensions, 

 inside measurements : Case, 21 inches 



about to wash the birds the cage can be square and 10 inches deep ; flight, 12 



