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and elegant, and answers well for a single bird, who 

 always looks well in it. It has the recommendation 

 of being easily cleaned, and of affording the least 

 possible screen for those pests and scourges of the 

 canary, red-lice. The only drawback is, that its shape 

 precludes it from being hung up against a wall, but 

 for a stand, or to be suspended from a ceiling nothing 

 can be better for the purpose. In this, as in all other 

 wares, there are inferior kinds, of which I would fain 

 put my readers on their guard, for the cheaper imita- 

 tions of the real article being badly japanned and 

 painted with the worst of paint, and therefore easily 

 picked off, as we have experienced to our sorrow, are 

 often the unsuspected cause of ill-health, and death 

 of many a valued and valuable bird. Of course the 

 only way to guard against this disaster is to go to the 

 best makers, or the leading bird-dealers, who are sure 

 to patronise the best articles. 



"But the cage to set off a canary to the greatest 

 advantage, and which therefore we recommend before 

 all others, is the plain square-topped cage, made of 

 white tin wire without any wood-work at all, except 

 the bottom, which should be of polished ebony, or at 

 least, if of other wood, stained black. This suits alike 

 all birds of whatever colour they may be, but we need 

 hardly say sets off the pale yellow or the deep orange 

 to the very greatest advantage. It is far beyond the 



