44 OUR HOME PETS 



cage smaller than the conventional " robin 

 cage " of the stores. Birds like large rooms, 

 with space to flirt their draperies, as well as 

 we do, and, what is almost as important, they 

 do not wear off their feathers rubbing against 

 the wires, as they do in cramped quarters. 



" 'Tis but a little rustic cage 

 That holds a golden-winged canary," 



is poetical and pretty, but it is not practical, 

 and to be practical is most important when 

 we are arranging for the comfort of our cap- 

 tives. 



When the cage I have described comes from 

 the dealer, it usually has three small perches, 

 one across each end just above the tray, and a 

 third lengthwise, about half-way to the top. 

 It will also be furnished with two small dishes 

 fastened on the outside, and reached through 

 a small opening in the wires. 



To prepare it for use, the first thing is to re- 

 move the dishes ; they are too small for any 

 bird bigger than a canary, and are not readily 

 found by any bird not born to cage life, and 

 are troublesome to clean. Two new perches 

 must be provided for the upper part of the 

 Cage. For these, which the bird uses most of 



