The Canary Book. 



the same length, which it is best to do ere you begin the 

 process of wiring. 



As I said before, if you can use a soldering-iron, it will 

 be better to solder the wires than to bind them with wire 

 binding ; but it is not an easy task to those who have never 

 attempted it before. Get a medium-sized soldering-iron and 

 a " stick " of solder from a plumber it is simply a mixture 

 of pewter, lead, and block tin; but, as only a small quantity 

 will be needed, it is cheaper to buy it ready made than to 

 make it. Heat your iron to a moderate heat do not make 

 it too hot, or it will not work properly. The test is to hold 

 it about six inches from your face, and if you feel a good 

 glow of heat arise to your cheek from it, then you may use 

 it; if you happen to make it too hot, and destroy the face 

 of the iron, file it a little, and rub it well among a little 

 powdered resin spread on a piece of brown paper, but heat it 

 moderately before you do this. As soon as it is ready for use 

 you can begin ; but first of all fix the wires into their places, 

 and place them as plumb as possible, and, before you attempt 

 to solder them to the cross-bars, you must put a few drops of 

 muriatic acid, to which a small piece of zinc has been added, 

 upon that portion of the wires where the union or joint is to 

 be made; resin, finely powdered, and which is generally used 

 for soldering tins, &c., is of no use for this purpose. After 

 you have joined a wire in this manner, you ought to have a 

 little diluted liquor of ammonia in a vessel of any kind, dip a 

 piece of cotton waste or rag of any sort into this liquid, and 

 rub over that part of the wires that you touched with the 

 acid, so that its effect thereon may be neutralised at once. 



You can form the holes for the birds to feed or drink 

 through by turning the wire across a round piece of 

 hard wood, about three-quarters-of-an-inch in circumference. 

 Grip it firmly with the pliers before you proceed to wrap 

 or coil it, for you must do this to the extent of half-an-inch 

 or more to make it hold firm, or you can make the hole 

 with a double instead of a single wire, if you prefer it. It 

 is simply done, and you will only require to examine one 



