AVIARIES, CAGES, AND FITTINGS 27 



Show Cages. 



Any old cage must not be used at a show cage. That 

 is a cage in which the bird is sent to be exhibited. There 

 are open wire cages for Belgians, Scots Fancies, Border 

 Fancies, Dutch Frills, and Lancashires, whilst Norwich, 

 Cinnamons, Crests, and Lizards are all shown in box 

 cages, that is cages with wooden sides, back, and top, 

 and a wire front. Some of these box cages have tops 

 which are a combination of wire and wood, the front 

 half of^the top being wire and the back portion only of 

 wood, such cages are mostly used by exhibitors of Lizards 

 and Crests, the half wire top allowing the judges to ex- 

 amine the spangle of the Lizards, and the crest of the 

 Crested Canaries with greater care and thoroughness. 



In my early days fanciers used generally to make their 

 own show cages, and a very mixed lot did one use to see 

 on the show benches. Some Norwich cages were made 

 with slanting tops, some with level tops, some with 

 half-round tops, some had square sides, some slanting 

 sides, and some had open doors for the front, fastened 

 with wire hinges on one side, and on the other with wire 

 hook and eye ; some had brass hinges, and a brass hook 

 and eye ; some had frames, which were screwed to each 

 side and top and bottom of the cage with screws ; some 

 had false bottoms, some had not ; some had wire doors 

 in front, and some had wooden doors at end. 



The Cinnamon Club was the first of our specialist Clubs 

 to adopt a standard cage, and the other clubs have since 

 followed its lead. Thus now we have both with the breeds 

 that are shown in box cages, and those shown m open 

 wire cages, uniform patterns, which may be easily pur 

 chased from firms advertising in Cage Birds, and from 

 those who deal in birds, cages, and other apphances 

 in most of our large towns. 



Box Cages for Crests and Norwich 

 The box cages which are generally in use now-a-days 

 are 12 or 13 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and 12 or 13 inches 

 high Some have two cross-bars of strong wire, which 

 divide the front into three equal portions. The bottom 

 bar, which is about 3 inches from the bottom wooden 

 mainstay, is used for fixing the perches, the other end 



