1 88 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



— providinji' they ;irf not broken — in the 



followinji- inaiiner. The whole ol' tlie tiiil 



should l)e dipped into ;i euj) 



^'•■.fl^*^"'"^ v1 ahn<.st boilino- water 

 Tail Feathers. "^ 



and liehl there tor a lew 

 seeoiids. The wet tail leathers shoidd 

 then he drawn uenllv between the lore- 



ail~J" 



A SIMPLE PACKING TKAY. 



finger and thumb, and most ol the water 

 so abstraeted. The leatlu^rs will then 

 become (piite straiyht auain. ( H' course, 

 wlu'n the tail is liehl in the hot water, eare 

 must be taken that the water does not 

 touch the bird's bo(l\'. 



Both birds and show-eages now being 

 clean and ready, the birds are trans- 

 ferred to the latter (pre- 

 suming the time has ar- 



Final 

 Preparations. 



ri\'ed lor their (les|)ateh to 

 a show) and the water-tins are hung 

 outside, so that the birds can have a final 

 (ji-ink before being packed, eare being taken 

 that the tins are sound and do not leak. 

 Seed vessels are useless: the bettei- ]>lan 

 is lo throw about ei|ual (|ua.ntities of 

 seed and oat or rice husl^ on the floor of 

 the cage, and with just a vrvv little egi>- 

 food and maw- seed in addit imi. this will |)ro- 

 vidcagood feed before t he joinney is l)egun. 

 Care .should be taken also to see that tlie 

 show labels are projurly lixed to each cage : 

 the\ ai'e usu.-dK tied to the front wires at 

 the left-hand eoruer on such cages as 

 Norwich : to the middle cross fi'ont ba.i' 

 at the Icfl-h.-iud coi-ucr in such as Scotch 

 l-'anc\ : and to the \'orksliire cage at the 

 top in the centic at the highest ])oiiit of the 

 dome, at the end on which the water tin 

 hangs, these being tlie most conxenient 

 ])la.ces on which to lie them. All labels 

 should be clucked by the schedule to see 

 that the right hibcl is on the cage for 

 each biril. according to its class. The 



birds should then, if possible, be lift for 

 a couple of hours to settle down. 



Next conies the packing, the mode of 

 which will depend upon the kind of cages. 



In the olden times of exhibit- 

 Despatching i, ijeloian and t'o])pv cages 

 the Cages. . 



wcri- often put in a bag of 



coarse linen made to lit. and drawn with a 

 string round the top : then a stick was 

 placed through the rings on the to]). which 

 wei'e tied to the stick, say four in a row, 

 and made a handy ]>ackage. The Nor- 

 wich or similar cages were often jiackeil in 

 wra])i)ering. They were jjut face to face in 

 l^airs with two ])ieces of paper between 

 them, the ])a]ier being large enough to turn 

 oNcr a little and thus |)ri'vent draught, each 

 ])air being tied round the middle with string. 

 Then three pairs were ))laecd end to end 

 on the wra|)pcr. which was sewn up tightly 

 by the aid of a packing-needle. Ica\ing a 

 ct)rucr or ear by which tt) carry it. 



Then an improved method for ] lacking 

 such cages was ado])ted, as shown in the 

 illustration on this ]>age. The cages fit 

 end to end in tlu' double tray along the 

 bottom and rest against the centre rails 

 li h and c c. Through the bottom and end 

 I'ails holes arc bored for ventilation, and 

 ca.n\as is ta,ckcd aloUL: the bottom (i (i, 

 ]>rojecting somewhat at the ends. This, 



TKWIIIINC CASE FOR CAGES. 



beiiiu laced u|> lighll\ at the top and both 

 ends, makes an admirable package. Hut 

 by far the best, easiest, and safest way 

 to send birds by rail or otlu r means to an 

 exhibition is to jjaek the cages in light 

 boxes or baskets, like poultry baskets, 

 lined with unbleached linen, made square 



