AVIARIES, BIRD-ROOMS AND CAGES. 77 



Should anyone desire to make a few single bird 

 cages, he will find the following a useful size: Four- 

 teen inches long, twelve inches high, and nine inches 

 from front to back. Two perches will be found 

 sufficient, that is, one running from side to side about 

 two inches or so from the front rail, and the other about 

 seven inches in length, fastened to the cage back, but 

 not reaching so far forward as the wire front. If a hole 

 be bored into the back of the cage the same size as the 

 perch, and a little glue be placed on the end of the perch 

 when fitting up, this will keep it safely in position. 



THE MUCH-DEBATED "BACK" CAGE. 



We have consid- 

 ered the stock cages 

 for Canaries, and 

 must now deal with 

 those required for 

 British and Foreign 

 birds. The common- 

 est otf these is thei 

 "back cage " of the 

 bird shops. It is 

 curious that a cage 

 of this design and 

 size should have 

 existed for so many 

 years. I have never 

 yet met anyone who Fi S- 3- Improved " Back " Cage. 



has been able to even hazard a guess at the number of 

 years this cage has been in- existence. But I remember 

 once seeing a very old oil painting depicting a man 

 watching a bird singing in a battered cage of this type; 

 the figures were in a rather untidy looking room with 

 one or two cooking utensils hanging upon the walls, 

 showing plainly who were the bird-lovers in olden times, 

 and that the pet of the household had his home in the 

 kitchen. 



Every bird keeper is familiar with the back cage, 

 so tliat there is no need to describe it. I think it is 

 chiefly popular because it takes up very little room, and 



