158 The Canary Book. 



may be added and set fire to and the door closed as speedily 

 as possible. After this operation the door and windows should 

 be left wide open for a period of ten or twelve hours to let out 

 the fumes, &c. ; then the floor, ceiling, and walls should be well 

 washed with two or three gallons of hot water in which lib. of 

 soda and 2oz. of blue-stone have been dissolved. If the walls 

 are papered they should be entirely stripped bare and again dis- 

 infected by use of the wash; after this process leave the 

 windows open for a few days, and when the ceiling is again 

 white-washed add some Condy's Fluid to the whiting. A 

 temporary abode can be made for the birds by nailing some 

 half-inch wire netting over a few empty biscuit boxes, and 

 cutting out a temporary door at the back or side, to be 

 hung with leather hinges, and secured by a metal button, 

 the food and water being placed inside to save further 

 labour or trouble; or a temporary fly cage can be formed 

 in the recess of a room, or better still the birds allowed to 

 fly about in a spare empty room, which would be beneficial 

 to them in every way. After this has been done the whole of 

 the cages should be gone over again, first thoroughly washing 

 inside and out with soft soap, soda, and hot water (lb. of 

 soft soap and lb. of soda to each gallon of hot water) ; when 

 dry, coat them inside and out with the solution of carbolic 

 acid, or a strong solution of sulphate of copper (2oz. of sul- 

 phate to each gallon of water), allowing them to remain 

 exposed to the open air for twelve hours. Next day they 

 should be again washed all over with hot water in which a 

 good handful of common soda has been previously dissolved, 

 and lastly rinsed off with pure cold water. This process will 

 thoroughly disinfect both the cages and the room. A basin or 

 other vessel containing a quantity of chloride of lime placed 

 in the centre of the room will be found an excellent disinfec- 

 tant, and will purify the atmosphere. It will be well to expose 

 the cages in the open air for a few days before again using 

 them, so that they may get thoroughly sweetened. 



All the birds which survive this crucial ordeal should, 

 before being restored to their domiciles, be well washed IB 



