Cages and Cage-making. 13 



required consistency for use; the milk makes it adhere more 

 firmly. It is considered an objectionable practice to paint the 

 inside of a cage of this sort. The same composition may be 

 used for colouring-out show-cages, only more blue should be 

 added in this case, and also a small, very small, quantity of 

 rose pink, or vermilion, to give it warmth; but, for my own 

 part, I prefer to paint show-cages inside, as the colouring 

 matter is liable to be rubbed off, for birds very frequently 

 wash themselves in their drinking-tins whenever they are 

 supplied with fresh water, and afterwards rub themselves 

 against the backs of their cages, and thereby get besmeared 

 with the colouring matter, which is detrimental to their 

 chance of obtaining a prize. They are never many days 

 together in a show-cage ; hence the paint, after becoming 

 thoroughly dried and hardened, can do them no harm. I 

 give mine a coat of oil paint first (white), and afterwards 

 two coats of "flattening," which is paint without oil. I mix 

 white lead, lime blue, and turpentine together for this 

 purpose; you can regulate the shade of colour according to 

 your taste. I fancy that a bird of any variety looks best in 

 a cage coloured-out with pale blue (cerulean or azure blue) ; 

 it looks far cleaner and nicer than dark or even a medium 

 blue. Some people colour their cages black inside to show 

 clear jonque and mealy birds in, thinking that the greater 

 the contrast the more advantageous it is to the birds. I 

 have tried nearly all colours and shades of colours experi- 

 mentally, and the colour just recommended I consider best. 

 The outsides of show-cages may be either painted, stained 

 and varnished, or coated over with the ordinary black varnish. 

 If the latter is used, they should have either a coat of black 

 paint or glue-size, in which some lamp-black or ivory-black, 

 finely powdered, has been previously mixed. This adds much 

 to the appearance both in colour and lustre. If you prefer 

 to paint them, I would recommend dark blue (Oxford blue); 

 but the black varnishing looks exceedingly well, and is very 

 serviceable. Breeding-cages ought to be cleansed out and 

 re-coloured inside twice a year, just prior to the breeding- 



