THE BIRD-ROOM 123 



need appeared I had two ladders, which I 

 made by lashing thin rounds of printer's fur- 

 niture (about the size of the stick at the bot- 

 tom of a window-shade) with fine twine on to 

 two long strips of lancewood. These ladders 

 were nearly six feet long, and reached from 

 the floor to the door of any cage whose oc- 

 cupant was unable to fly because of moulting, 

 or from any accident. The rounds were eight 

 inches apart, and it was a pretty sight, when 

 a disabled bird had fallen to the floor, to 

 watch him hurrying across the room, and 

 hopping up the rounds of that ladder as fast 

 as a child will run up-stairs. Birds learned 

 to use them very readily. 



Most of the cages were left uncovered ; but 

 birds who were sensitive about having others 

 alight on their roof had their cages covered. 

 Usually a newspaper laid over answered the 

 purpose; but in one case of an extremely ner- 

 vous bird and a very teasing neighbor, I sewed 

 a permanent roof of enamelled cloth over the 

 top, making the lovely owner thereof perfectly 

 happy. 



Before one of the windows of the bird-room 

 stood the table, which served first every morn- 



