2o6 



Caxjr/es and Cage-Birds. 



without discovery. Tlie cages are tlien placed in a private room, where next da)' the judges visit 

 them : it is never judge (singular number), and it usually takes them tlic giaxtcr part of the day to 

 go through the four classes, and very often the entire day. I don't know, but I think you will 

 agree with me when I say that no one man, however expert a judge he may be, can do full justice 

 to a class (as they are classed here) by simply walking up one side and down another and washing 

 his hands of the whole in half an hour. I say as they are classed here, for if an old bird is allowed 

 to compete with a batch of youngsters, all of nearly equal merit, why, the older bird need not 

 usually require long to decide upon. The method adopted by the judges is, first to go through 

 them in a superficial way, placing by themselves those showing decidedly good points. The 

 second division is again gone over to make certain that nothing having merit has been overlooked, 

 and then commences the real sifting process, by which the selected birds are separated and weeded, 



FIG. 57. — TRAVELLING-CAGE. 



TKAVELLI.\G-HAG. 



and again weeded, till comes the tug of war between the best four. These being settled in each 

 class, there comes the struggle of the day between the first of each section for the ' Prix d'Honneur,' 

 which being finally decided causes a general move up of one place in the class from which the 

 winning bird was taken, and, the judging being finished, the cages are numbered with chalk 

 according to merit. 



" Next day being the occasion of the prize distribution, a strong muster is present, as Article 8 

 has some weight with expectant winners ; and the cages are brought in from the judging-room to 

 the general meeting-room, in which the President and other office-bearers are seated at a table. 

 One of the secretaries sees that the cages are numbered and follow in rotation, and after calling 

 out a number and the prize awarded it, hands the cage to another official, who breaks the paper 

 coverino- the drawboard, draws it out, and taking the paper from underneath, during an interval 

 of intense excitement, in which every one is certain he sees his own bird in the distance, slowly, 

 and with clear intonation suitable to so solemn an occasion, reads the name and address of the 

 happy winner. He, amid clapping of hands and other emphatic demonstrations, moves up to the 

 table and bows to the President ; who rises, shakes hands, and congratulates him, after which 



