JUDGING, REPORTING AND TECHNICAL TERMS 191 



greater importance Tor tlic birds them- 

 selves. Picture what must be the nervous 

 strain on birds, even if steady and used to 

 the excitement of shows, when staged on 

 low tables about 2 I'eet G inches high, with 

 a throng of people peering over the top of 

 them the whole day through for two or 

 three days, to saj^ nothing of the probability 

 of several of them getting knocked over. 



The best staging is that on the twt)- or 

 three-tier princij^le — that is, one tier above 

 another. It saves space, and gives the 

 show a neat appearance. The bottom tier, 

 or shelf, should be about 3 feet from the 

 floor and 7 or 8 inches wide for the cages 

 to stand on, this width affording greater 

 protection to the birds and cages than a 

 narrower shelf. The next shelf is arranged 

 behind and about 10 or 12 inches above 

 the first one, and the third a similar height 

 above this ; the rests, or arms, for the 

 shelves being arranged on the lean-to 

 jjrinciple. Two shelves can be placed on 

 the opposite side in like manner, with 

 the third as apex or top for lioth sides. 

 This arrangement permits of staging a large 

 number of birds in a small space. On the 

 two lower tiers on either side such varie- 

 ties as Norwich, Crests, Cinnamons, Lizards, 

 Hybrids, British, and all birds other than 

 birds of position should be placed. Birds 

 of position, such as Belgians. Scotch Fan- 

 cies, Yorkshires, Lancashircs, Border Fan- 

 cies, and all varieties which are exhibited 

 in open-wire cages, show better when 

 staged on the topmost tier. It the front 

 of the staging is draped with red or green 

 baize from the bottom tier to the floor, a 

 neat finish is given to the exhibition. 



In the North of England and Scotland 

 the staging is often arranged in the form 

 of long shelves directly above each other, 

 with just sufficient space between each 

 for the cages to stand. At some shows 

 three of these shelves stand one above 

 another, and at others, where space is at 

 a premium, we have seen four, five, or 

 even six rows of cages thus placed. The 

 shelves are raised on upriglit single-legged 

 trestles, a 2- or 3-inch lath being nailed 

 across the top of each upright from one 



end to the other, and the bottom of the 

 legs of the trestles being fixed to the floor. 

 This staging is quickly erected and as 

 quickly removed after the show. Mr. D. 

 Kinlayside, of Edinbiu-gh, has adapted a 

 collapsible principle to this form of stag- 

 ing. It is fixed up with thumbscrews, 

 and it answers well. 



Wliatever form of staging is adopted, 



sufficient space nnist be allowed in the 



aisles between the exhibits so 



9r"^^''°" that several i>eople can pass 



of Space. ' ' . 



each other without mcon- 



venience and the staging arranged so as 

 to get the greatest amount of light thrown 



MR. KINLAYSIDE'S COLLAPSIBLE THREE-TIER 

 STAGING. 



upon the birds both by day and gas light, 

 and thus prevent unnecessary handling 

 of the cages by visitors. All should be 

 erected before the birds arrive, and the 

 space measured off for each class. This 

 can easily be calculated by taking the 

 number of entries in each class and allow- 

 ing for the average sized show-cage of the 

 variety. As each class is thus measured 

 oft, its class number should be affixed, so 

 that as the exhibits are unpacked they 

 can at once be put into position. 



The exhibits should be unpacked in a 



place tree from draught, and as each cage 



is taken out its number 



How to Deal should lie called over to the 

 ■with Exhibits. . , . , , 



official in charge, who 



should check it by his list and direct where 

 it is to be staged. For this purpose he 

 should be familiar with the arrangement 

 of the classes, and in this way one checker 

 can keep several unpackers at work with- 

 out confusion, and save much time. It is 



