AVIARIES, BIRD-ROOMS AND CAGES. 79 



the back. It is about as simple a cage as one can possi- 

 bly make, yet it answers its purpose admirably, and I 

 and others have now used it for many years. The wild 

 bird is boxed in without too much light, and his perches 

 are on a level with his water and food. A little drawer 

 in one corner, or even a piece of wood about one inch 

 high nailed across one end, makes a capital seed hopper, 

 and one easy of access by the bird. 



This stock cage should be made of nine-inch pine 

 boards, which can be used for top, bottom, and the 

 ends, with a length of eleven-inch board for the back. 

 When the edges of these are planed smooth they will be 

 about half an inch less, which is a slight advantage, as 

 a very deep cage is not always desirable. The front 

 rail should be about three inches deep, so that the wire 

 front will not need to be very large. A door at one end 

 will be found sufficient. It will be noted in practice that 

 the oftener a bird is run from one cage to another the 

 better. Therefore, when cleaning out, or giving it a 

 bath or spray, run the bird into another cage kept for 

 the purpose. The other can be cleansed so much better 

 with the occupant away, and he is not so likely to get 

 a fright. 



FOR LARGE SOFTBILLS. 



Most bird-lovers include a Thrush, Blackbird, or 

 Starling among their stock. The old-fashioned Black- 

 bird cage is a thing of the past so far as the experienced 

 Fancier is concerned, but many of these obsolete wooden 

 arrangements, which no one can properly clean out, 

 are still sold to the uninitiated. In the matter of cage 

 construction, Fanciers are now guided by common- 

 sense, and make their cages simple and roomy, and so 

 that they may be easily taken to, pieces and scrubbed 

 when required and all cages require a good scrubbing 

 occasionally. 



Fig. 5 illustrates a Thrush, etc., cage for general 

 use. It is quite a simple affair, yet answers the purpose 

 admirably. Its proportions are: Length twenty-four, 

 height sixteen, and width eleven inches, so that to make 



