124 CANARIES 



The hoUand covering used during the moult should also 

 be used during the show season. It is quite impossible 

 to have birds in first-class exhibition form unless they are 

 thus kept. Those fanciers who, owing to want of space 

 or other reasons, are unable to have a large stock of cages, 

 must work under much difficulty. The plan most suitable 

 for any who may be thus situated, and one that is generally 

 followed by the working men fanciers of the North, is 

 at the end of the breeding season to subject all the breeding 

 cages to a thorough good cleansing, and use them for 

 moulting and keeping the show specimens in during the 

 winter months. 



Overhauling the Cages and Travelling Cases. 



During the last few weeks of the moulting season, just 

 when the birds are fining down, the fancier should turn his 

 attention to his stock of show cages, travelling hampers 

 or cases. The cages should be carefully overhauled to see 

 if any wires are broken or loose. A damaged wire may 

 mean the loss of a valuable bird, either through injury 

 or by its escaping from its cage whilst away from home. 

 The wires having been put in good order, the cages 

 must be painted. The outside of all box cages should 

 have a coat of Brunswick or BerUn black, whilst the 

 inside should be painted light blue, as advised in the 

 chapter on Cages. I have tried various colours for cages 

 but have found nothing to equal a pale blue interior. 



The hampers, or cases, should be overlooked to see if 

 the locks, buckles, straps, etc., are all in perfect order. 

 As to which is the best travelling case for birds, I strongly 

 recommend closely made wicker hampers. These should 

 be lined with unbleached caUco, aud have a good double 

 flap at the top. This for birds in box cages. For birds 

 in open wire cages I recommend that the lining be of green 

 baize. My reason for preferring strong wicker hampers 

 is that when thrown on to a railway truck or platform 

 the jar is not quite so bad for the birds as when a non- 

 yielding woodsn case is used. 



Entering for a Show. 



When the birds are ready for exhibition, the exhibitor 

 should select a show from the list of those published 



