Canary Societies, and Close and Open Shows. 407 



proper time should pay for their negligence. When you 

 receive entries of this sort you must deal with them in this 

 fashion. Suppose, for example, you receive two entries for 

 Class 5, and the last entry in that class is numbered 47, you 

 must enter the two additional birds thus: 47A, 47s, and so 

 on; and in the index in this manner: Presuming the name 

 of the person who has sent the late entry is Dunn, and the 

 last person entered under letter D is represented by the 

 consecutive number 22, you must distinguish the specimens 

 entered by Mr. Dunn by adding a to the figures 22, so 

 that this number will be 22^. By this simple arrangement the 

 packing for the return journey, which is always looked for- 

 ward to as a formidable undertaking by most people, is 

 greatly facilitated, and rendered quite an easy task. 



PACKING AND RETURNING BIRDS. As soon as the show is 

 concluded and the room cleared of visitors the doors should be 

 all secured. In the next place, all the birds should be gathered 

 together and placed in lots all the number one's, two's, and so 

 on. The packers must then be told off, two being apportioned 

 for each lot of birds. Three lots of packers are ample in 

 ordinary cases, and, if good hands, should be able to clear out 

 the place in a few hours. Each couple of packers should have 

 an attendant, whose duty it is to pick out the wrappers for each 

 different lot, and call out the numbers for the secretary to tick 

 off each bird according to its class number. One of the packers 

 will then tie each two cages together with twine, having first 

 emptied the water out of the drinking tins, and hand them to 

 the other packer to arrange in the cover. Whilst the packers 

 are engaged sewing up the package, the attendant can be 

 preparing the next lot. They should be packed consecutively, 

 excepting those birds which are to be sent a long distance, as 

 these should in all cases be sent off by the first train.* The 

 secretary should pre-arrange matters with the station-master, 

 and should furnish a list of the number of packages sent by 

 eacli conveyance, or at each separate journey of the one engaged, 

 and get the lists signed by the railway company's servants. 



When practicable, the ni^ht mail will in all cases be found most suitable. 



