39 2 The Canary BOOK. 



the schedules have been satisfactorily arranged and the days 

 of exhibition decided upon, the hall agreed for, and othei 

 preliminary matters settled, let the schedules be printed 

 without delay. Four hundred copies should be ordered, 

 and one sent to every known exhibitor in the kingdom. 

 To obtain the addresses of these, the secretary should 

 write for a catalogue of each show preceding his own, or 

 refer to catalogues of the previous year. With regard to 

 the best time of year to hold a canary show, much will depend 

 upon circumstances, but it should certainly take place between 

 the months of September and February, unless it be a " nest 

 feather" show, and then the month of July will be found most 

 suitable. Ten days at least should elapse between the last day 

 for receiving entries and the first day of the exhibition, to 

 allow the secretary ample time to arrange the catalogue, &c. 



ANNOUNCING THE NAMES OF JUDGES. Some societies deem 

 it expedient to announce the name of the judge or judges upon 

 the schedule ; as to the advisability of this plan there is a 

 variety of opinions. It is unquestionably open to discussion, 

 hence I must refrain from offering an opinion thereon. Of 

 ane thing, however, I am fully convinced, and that is the 

 desirability of a change of judges occasionally, as I find it gives 

 more satisfaction to exhibitors. I have sometimes thought it 

 would be well to submit the names of a number of well-known 

 judges, and allow each exhibitor to vote for two, and finally 

 to select the one or two, as may be deemed expedient, who 

 received the greatest number of votes, but even this plan is 

 open to objection. Always endeavour to procure a straight- 

 forward, conscientious man to act in this capacity. Some men 

 are so anxious to become judges that they offer their services 

 gratis, and in some cases agree to pay their own expenses as 

 well. These men are generally fanciers with very limited 

 experience, and are dear even on these terms, as their awards 

 rarely give satisfaction to exhibitors, and they not unfrequently 

 perpetrate gross blunders through ignorance. By all means 

 avoid such men. 



SERVANTS. The men selected to attend upon birds during 



