192 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



most important to flieck the birds off as 

 they arrive, so as to know il' any l)irds 

 are absent. As soon as each ])acka}>c is 

 enij)ticd the label sliould he reversed, so 

 that the iwhibiior's address is outside, and 

 then put away in tlie aj>pointed ]>laee. 



ir food is sent, another person ouoht at 

 once to see that the caoes are supplied 

 with this and also water oiven, taking 

 care that none is missed. It is most 

 important that every bird should ha\e 

 water before leaving the un])aekin<i; tal)le, 

 and not be ke])t without it until iil'tcr 

 judifinu. The nejflect of this makes judtiini;- 

 most dillienlt. for the birds are restlessly 

 searchinfi' for a, drink instead of showinj;' 

 themselves olf before the judge. In gi\iiiu 

 water, care sliould lie taken to but half 

 fill tlie tins at first. If more is allowed, 

 the chances are that the birds will begin 

 to sj)lash and drench themsches, and 

 jjrobably not be dry when the judge comes 

 round. Many a prize has l)cen lost through 

 neglect of this precaution, which is unfair 

 to exhibitors. After the class is judgi'd 

 the tins may be lillcd up. 



Careful jiacking and cjuick despatch of 

 the birds at the close of the show. proui])t 

 ])aynieuf of pri/.c money and despalch of 

 s|)ecials. all augur well for greater su])port 

 at a future event. A good schedule, witli 

 i'easonal)lc classification and a good list 

 of specials, all assist to bi-ing a good entrw 

 and whatever the \alue of the s|)ecials 

 mcul ioncd in flic schedule, it should be seen 

 that the winners of them i-cceive thai value. 



To advertise a show may seem to some 



an unnecessary expense, but this is a grax'c 



misl.-ikc. A few good. well- 

 Advertising. , , . . ■ 



worded advertisements ui 



the I''a,ncv I'l'css two or three weeks before 

 the show takes ])l;Lee a,ec|ua,iiil I lie would- 

 be exhibitor with the good things in store 

 for him, and also bring the show before the 

 notice of bird keepers, nol only increasing 

 the entry, but inducing fanciers .uid others 

 to attend. A few good i)ostei's and liandbilK 

 distributed locally by mcmlicrs do nnich lo 

 secure the attendance of the general public. 

 The outlay on advertising, if done propeiU, 

 will undoubtedly be well repaid. 



Judges. 



Wc know from experience that the 

 liability attached to a sliow makes its 

 ollieials study ex|K'nditure care- 

 fully, and this is ([uite right : 

 but still, cheapness should not be their 

 lirst consideration, and qualified judges, 

 whose decisions meet with the general 

 a])proval of exhibitors —even it costing a 

 little more for their services — are usually 

 the cheapest in the end, for they secure a 

 good entry. Again, while no ])ro])er judge 

 will e()m|)lain of a good day's work, he 

 should not be o\"er-ta\ed. Let him, as far 

 as possil)le, have a good start in the morn- 

 ing whilst fresh and when the light is 

 good, the show-room ([uiet, and the birds 

 not excited. The duty of a judge, it 

 should be impressed, is to judge to the 

 recognised standards, and not to " pet " 

 notions of his own. 



Tlien press oflicials have as impt)rfant 

 a duty as the judge, jirovided we are to 



ha\e a rcliahlf re))()rt. If 



Reporters. j j^i u ii 1 



not. then better liave no 



report at all than a false criticism, mis- 

 guiding to inex])ei'ieneed exhibitors and 

 worse than useless to readers unable to 

 attend the show. It has been suggested 

 b\- some that judges. a,s well as reporters, 

 should be sup|)lied with a catalogue while 

 oHiciating. \Ve should be sorry to sec 

 such a. practice in vogue, for we maintain 

 if a judge c.amiot ]>ick out the most perfect 

 exhibits for the prizes withoni Ihe aid of 

 a catalogue to lell him to whom those 

 exhibits belong, then he dot's not possess 

 the necessar\- ability to a.el as a judge. 

 We say the same of Ihe reporter. \Mieu 

 1a,kiug our notes at a shiiw' we use a 

 schedule from whence to get the headings 

 of the classes, then write our eriti(]ue and 

 al'lerwards secure a catalogu<- foi' the names 

 of the respect i\ I- exhibitors. Two pouils 

 need c;>uslant care a.s regards critical 

 reports \i/,. im|)arl iality and competence. 

 Ke|)orls thus wrilten .Lre of iinmensi' value 

 In all eoneerued. and the journals we ha\'e 

 been and aie eomucted with, we are happy 

 to sa\ . lia\c' always made these their lead- 

 ing |)rinci|)les. It is sheer prcsum|)t ion — 

 almost impertinence — lor a reporter merely 



