Mr. Young's Breeding-Room. 23 



need only refer to a disastrous loss sustained by Mr. J. Yallop, of Cossey, near Norwich, when a 

 stoat which obtained admission to his bird-room destroyed between sixty and seventy valuable 

 birds, to show the necessity of vigilance in this direction. The lessons of such a catastrophe should 

 not be lost upon thoughtful fanciers, who should ever study to reduce the possibility of an accident 

 within the narrowest limits. 



We give a sketch of a breeding-room in which we have spent many a pleasant hour, and 

 which some of our readers at least will not fail to recognise. It is from the hand of an artist better 

 up in Canary-breeding than in the laws of perspective or of light and shadow, and we regret that 

 our " B " pencil is not sufficiently versed in figure-drawing to place in the vacant chair the worthy 

 owner of the establishment, Mr. John Young, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland. It will be seen 

 there is but one chair, the orthodox seats in a bird-room being inverted show-cages or packing- 

 boxes, one of which stands under the window. The closet at the right hand is a moulting-place, 

 which in the winter season also does duty as a large flight, in which breeding stock of all kinds is 

 turned loose during the quiet period of the year when they have nothing to do but to lay up 

 strength for the next season's campaign. The cage is a large thirty-two couple castle in two 

 sections, and is very complete in every respect. In the centre of the room is the gas-stove, before 

 described, with basin of water on top, and chimney carried in a horizontal direction into the 

 chimney of the fire-place. When we say that a single bat's-wing burner in this stove is amply 

 sufficient to keep up a " comfortable " temperature, we need add nothing further as to its efficiency. 

 At the end of the room opposite the fire are other cages, and a general repository for necessaries; 

 but as we don't know how to sketch things standing behind our back, we are unable to give 

 them or the ventilator in the ceiling, without which sanitary arrangement no room can be said 

 to be complete. 



