138 CANARIES 



ster. The old bird will know at once what is required, and 

 will hop into the other cage at once ; the youngster 

 will generally follow suit. 



When training Belgians to go into position much 

 patience is required. When you have resolved to train 

 any particular specimen, you should drive it with the cane 

 out of the flight cage into a show cage. Let it stay in the 

 show cage two or three days before you commence opera- 

 tions. During this time you should talk to it for a few 

 moments every time you enter the bird-room, and endea- 

 vour to gain its confidence by giving it little bits of water- 

 cress, egg-food, etc. 



This much accomplished, the training may commence. 

 Lift the cage, and scratch the bottom of it with your 

 finger nails ; this will attract the bird's attention, and it 

 will commence pulhng itself together, lowering its head, 

 raising its shoulders, etc. When the bird becomes ac- 

 customed to the scratching, a thin cane, or pencil, may 

 be introduced between the wires from behind the bird ; 

 this will cause it to erect itself to the utmost of its power. 

 Care is needed not to overstrain your birds. Twice a 

 week is quite often enough to rouse them up. If they 

 are overstrained they will appear sluggish on the show 

 bench at the very moment when they should be alertness 

 itself. 



Points that make a Belgian. 



The points of the Belgian are as follows, and in giving 

 these points I might say that I do not speak of the 100- 

 point standard, as some people read it as though birds 

 must be judged by it point for point. Such a standard for 

 all practical purposes is useless. Birds are never judged 

 by it, owing to the fact that different judges place different 

 value on the various points. The great value of a standard 

 of points is that which gives the breeders of a variety some 

 common ground on which they may stand and argue the 

 value of different properties and assist them in estimating 

 the relative value of different points. But it is of no use 

 to practical and experienced judges as in our shows the 

 exhibits are judged by comparison one with the other. 



The head should be small and sleek, the neck long 

 and delicately curved, the shoulders broad, prominent 



