34 CANARIES 



nest should be renewed when the young are a week old, 

 and again at a fortnight and three weeks. It will not 

 want much making. Just put a little nesting material 

 in the bottom, sprinkle it with insect powder, and return 

 the young. A better way is to have a clean nest pan ready 

 and transfer the young to it. Then take the old nest 

 away and burn it, and thoroughly cleanse the pan in hot 

 water ready for the next turn. When cleaning out the 

 cages do not forget to give plenty of clean sand. It pays. 



Things Useful and Needful. 



Diamond-shaped scrapers are useful for removing 

 refuse from the cages as they enable one to reach the 

 corners. A bucket or two, a couple of brushes, one long 

 handled and the other with a short handle, and a short 

 handled metal shovel should be found in every bird room 



Two seed sieves, one of fine wire mesh for canary, 

 hemp, rape, millet and linseed, and one of fine hair for 

 maw and other small seeds. 



A pestle and mortar for bruising seed or mixing foods, 

 a fine meshed potato squeezer for hard-boiled eggs, and a 

 broad bladed knife will all be found of use and service. 



Egg boxes, or cabinets, are useful for keeping the eggs 

 from day to day as they are laid. These are made of wood 

 with divisions about three inches square, which are 

 numbered according to the cage numbers from which come 

 the eggs. They are made from two to two-and-a-half 

 inches deep and are filled with sawdust or bran upon 

 which the eggs are placed. 



Two or three big jam pots, the 31b size, will be found 

 very serviceable in the bird room. They can be used for 

 the soaking of seed, and the keeping fresh of some kinds 

 of green foods. 



It is wise to have a reserve supply of water glasses, 

 egg drawers, nest pans, and perches in the room. It 

 means the saving of a lot of labour, time, and temper. 



In large bird rooms the food should be kept in galvanized 

 iron bins. In smaller rooms the large biscuit tins or 

 grocers' tea tins answer the purpose. The seed should al- 

 ways be kept in receptacles of this character. 



