EXHIBITING AND WASHING 



183 



ing any more room, hold double the 

 quantity of water, which consequently 

 keeps cleaner and needs less attention. 



The first basin or pan should be half- 

 filled with warm water of about 50 degrees. 

 If clean rain-water is procurable for tlie 

 purpose so much the better for both wash- 

 ing and rinsing, as this needs no addition 

 to soften it. Failing this, a piece of lump 

 borax should be dissolved in the ordinary hot 

 Avater ; a piece the size of a small haricot 

 bean will be quite sufficient to soften a 

 quart of water, and will be beneficial to 

 the bird's feathers. Certainty should be 

 made that borax is used, as we know of 

 two instances where fanciers were given 

 alum in mistake for borax, with the result 

 that the plumage of several of their most 

 valuable birds was ruined for a whole season 

 — until, indeed, they moulted again ; the 

 feathers were stiffened, and many of them 

 caused to stick up like porcupine quills, 

 while the plumage was given a bleached 

 appearance. 



After the water has been softened it 

 should be thoroughly impregnated with 

 soap by means of a badger-hair or other 

 soft shaving brush, rubbed over good 

 yellow or white soap. The other basins 

 should be half filled with water maintained 

 at a temperature of 90 degrees. A small 

 piece of borax should be added to each of 

 these waters. The soap should be placed 

 where it is liandy. A good plan is to bed 

 it in the soap-dish with flannel, so that it 

 will not slip about wliile jjassing the brush 

 over it when wasliing the birds. These 

 preparations completed, the actual washing 

 of the birds can be begun. 



Take your first bird and place it along 

 the palm of the left hand, as shown on 

 this page, the head towards 

 the wrist, and the tail pro- 

 jecting between the thumb 

 and forefinger, while the other fingers 

 hold the bird lightly but firmly, the little 

 finger securing the head, and the others 

 the shoulder or side of the wing. It 

 will be readily found that in this posi- 

 tion the bird can be held lightly yet 

 with perfect securitj', and that the posi- 



How to Wash 

 Birds. 



tion of its body can be clianged at 

 convenience, according as the back or 

 sides are being done. Innnerse all but 

 just the head in the suds for a few seconds, 

 whilst the lather-brush is being plied with 



FIRST POSITION FOR WASHING. 



telegraphic speed over the soap ; as soon 

 as a good free lather is obtained in the 

 brush, lift the bird out, remove tlie thumb 

 or second finger out of the way, and wash 

 well with the brush the lower part of the 

 body, the wings, and tail ; always work 

 in the same direction as the feathers lie, 

 occasionally dipping the ])arts that are 

 being washed into the soap-suds. Do this 

 until the dirt appears gone, and when satis- 

 fied tliat the back up to the shoulders, 

 sides, and top of tail are clean, turn the 

 bird over in the hand as shown in the 



^MiB ailll;,l!!.£l!i;;iil:il|i,!lii |il i.iHaMlia^^#?' ■ 



SECOND POSITION FOR WASHING. 



next illustration, with its head coming 

 under the little finger towards the wrist 

 as before, and commence brushing the 

 under side of the wings and tail, opening 



