204 The Canary Book. 



they cannot manage to " get them up " properly for a show j 

 and hence follows vexation and disappointment ; the first flush 

 of victory fades before the non-realisation of their hopes, 

 and in their anger and indignation they discard their hobby 

 in disgust, and with an inward feeling that they have been 

 " taken in and done for " ; but pride prevents them from ac- 

 knowledging the truth, and they suddenly find that " pressure 

 of business," or some similar cause, prevents them from longer 

 continuing in the fancy. 



This is the old, old story, that has been realised scores of 

 times, and is likely to be renewed, so long as ambition, instead 

 of experience, holds sway over red-hot fanciers. 



SHOW BIRDS. Wash your birds but seldom, as frequent 

 washing makes the feather rough. Keep the birds covered, 

 and in a place as free from dust and smoke as possible until 

 the show season is over. 



When you show crested birds take care to keep the perches in 

 your show-cages low down, and also in your breeding-cages if 

 the birds are very heavily crested. Several cases have come to 

 my knowledge where birds with unusually long crests have 

 injured themselves seriously by flying against the perches, when 

 placed high ; and I have known one death result through it. 

 Besides, in a show-cage birds are seen to much greater advan- 

 tage when the perch or perches are kept low. 



How TO CATCH BATS. Fanciers who use out-of-door 

 aviaries or stables or coachhouses, or similar out-door buildings 

 for their birds, are frequently troubled with rats, and how 

 to get rid of them is often perplexing. They are too cunning 

 to be caught in ordinary traps ; their power of smell can easily 

 detect where a human hand has been, and poisoned food is at 

 all times a dangerous experiment to try. Place a tolerably 

 large tub in the centre of the room, aviary, or building, and 

 in the centre of the tub put a brick on end, then pour sufficient 

 water into the tub to cause it to come within an inch of the 

 top of the brick ; this done cover the top of the tub with 

 gtout brown paper, and make it secure. Then sprinkle upon 



