86 



AVIARIES, BIRD-ROOMS A3D CAGES. 



to the Judge that the exhibitor is trying his very best 

 to obtain one of the coveted honours. It may not 

 influence him, but in many cases he stays to have more 

 than a second look at the bird; it prevents its being 

 passed by with but just a glance. 



Two 

 USEFUL TOOLS. 



When cage-making 

 a small bradawl will 

 be required. One should 

 be purchased the right 

 thickness, and then about 

 half of it be filed away, 

 to reduce it in length ; it 

 will then be much handier 

 to use. A small bead 

 along the front of a cage 

 gives it a finished appear- 

 ance. A tool can easily be 

 made for this purpose, by 

 simply putting a screw 

 into a piece of wood and 

 filing it down, as illus- 

 trated in Fig. 10. 



Fig. 10. Home-made Beading Tool 

 and method of using it. 



PAINTS AND PAINTING. 



We now come to the painting of our cages. Most 

 people like to see everything in the bird room looking 

 as neat and smart as it can be, for we all experience 

 considerably more pleasure w r hen cages and utensils are 

 somewhat uniform, especially as regards colour, than 

 we do if there be odd ones here and there, some black, 

 some brown possibly two or three of no colour at all. I 

 am inclined to think that even the stock cages should 

 be coloured to show up the inmates to the best advan- 

 tage. The fancier likes to admire his birds, and to see 

 they are looking their best when his friends are admitted 

 to the bird room. For Canaries and Hybrids a pale 

 blue, or blue grey, is as suitable a colour as any, and 

 green shows off the majority of British Birds to the 

 best advantage. 



It hardly pays the fancier to mix his own paints, for 

 although they may be more durable than the ready 



