they are going to a point only a day or a day and a night dis- 

 tant, they need no feed nor water. If the destination is more 

 remote, two tin cups, one for grain, the other for water, 

 should be tacked to the inside of the, crate. A sponge should 

 be placed in the water dish and wired in loosely so the birds 

 cannot peck it out. This prevents the water from being 

 spilled in transit. A given quantity of water lasts longer and 

 keeps cleaner. For a very long journey, a bag of grain 

 should be nailed to the crate. It is the duty of the express 

 messengers to feed and v/ater the birds en route, and they 

 .are so instructed by their companies. It is well to tack a 

 tag to the crate giving general directions to the express 

 m>essengers, in a case of long distance shipment. 



Do you know that live stock is transported long distances 

 by the express companies at the rate charged for ordinary 

 merchandise? For carrying live stock short distances, the 

 animal rate (which is double the merchandise rate) is 

 charged. This is a peculiar rule, and it works so that the 

 buyer at a remote point ,gets his shipment cheaper than the 

 buver nearer us. For instance, we can ship a crate of pigeons 

 to Chicago from Boston cheaper than we can to Bufifalo. 

 All the express companies doing business in the United 

 States and Canada have the same rule, which is, that between 

 points where the single or merchandise rate is $2 or more 

 per 100 pounds, hve- animals, boxed, crated or caged, are 

 charged for transportation at the single or merchandise rate. 

 Between points where the .single or merchandise rate is less 

 than $2 per 100 pounds, live animals are charged the animal 



