HIS PRIVATE APARTMENT 45 



all, get two sizes of dowelling, one perhaps 

 half an inch in diameter, the other three-quar- 

 ters of an inch. Dowelling may be bought in 

 three-foot lengths at house-furnishing stores 

 in the city, and of carpenters in the country, 

 and is convenient for several purposes in a 

 bird -room. The two upper perches should 

 be made of different sizes, to avoid cramps 

 in the feet, which are caused by the use of 

 perches too small, or all of one size. Fasten 

 these in place by cutting a rather deep notch 

 in each end. 



Throw away the middle perch, and make 

 another one of the dowelling, to go across 

 half-way down, and exactly in the middle, 

 coming thus over the door. Now these cages 

 are somewhat elastic, and a notched perch 

 will occasionally fall down from the middle of 

 the cage, so this one must be fastened differ- 

 ently. I make it secure by cutting it square 

 off, just long enough to fit loosely between 

 the tin stays on which it is to rest, and driv- 

 ing straight into each end a large-headed tack, 

 about two-thirds its length. When this is 

 slipped into its place, the tacks rest on the 

 strip of tin, and the heads keep it in. 



