408 The Canary Book. 



ASSISTANCE AND TREATMENT OF JUDGES. But there are 

 other important duties to be performed beside, both before the 

 opening and during the exhibition. As soon as all the birds are 

 arranged, and examined to see that they are all properly classed, 

 fed, and supplied with water, the room should be swept ; the 

 floor should be strewn all over with damp sand or sawdust 

 previous to this being done to prevent the birds getting soiled 

 with dust. These preliminaries being completed, you are now 

 ready to admit the judges. You should prepare for each judge 

 a lead pencil and a small memorandum or judging book, in 

 which you have previously written the number and heading of 

 each class; request each of them (if more than one) to mark 

 down the number and particulars of every bird to which they 

 award a prize or commendation. With the judges you should 

 send a person to act as amanuensis to them; he must not be 

 an exhibitor, nor connected directly or indirectly with one. 

 This person should be furnished with slips of paper, which 

 must be obtained from the printer, being in reality leaves of a 

 catalogue minus the awards ; he should keep behind the judges, 

 and ought not to hold any communication with them whatever, 

 beyond marking down the awards when they are called over. 

 A boy should likewise be in attendance to tie on the prize tickets, 

 under the supervision of the person attendant upon the judges 

 (unless the " Field Duplicate Judging Books " are used, in which 

 case an attendant is not necessary. The whole of these officials 

 should be regaled, say, once in two or three hours, with some 

 light refreshment whilst performing their duties. It is usual to 

 consult them as to what they prefer tea, coffee, or a glass of 

 sherry and a biscuit, or bread and cheese and beer. After 

 every two or three classes have been judged, the boy or atten- 

 dant should hand out the slips that are ready to the secretary, 

 who should keep a copy of them for his own guidance, and send 

 the originals to the printer; by adopting this method you are 

 enabled to have your catalogues ready very shortly after the 

 judges have finished their work. As soon as they have com- 

 pleted their task have a good substantial dinner ready for 

 them. After dinner the judges should check the catalogue 

 with the books supplied them by the secretary, to see that no 



