00 PIGEONS AXD ALL ABOUT THEM. 



SHIPPING TO SHOWS. 



THOSE (if us who have visited shows year after year, 

 know what mistakes are made hy fanciers wlio are 

 either thoughtless or — though I dislike to say it — 

 jiarsimonious at the very time they sliould be must liberal. 

 What is the use of breeding a fine bird, training it, and get- 

 ting it in perfect condition for a show, and then sending it 

 in a miserable little box, to save a few cents express charges? 



I have seen valuable birds come in dirty little boxes, all 

 jammed together, with absolutely nothing by which the show 

 attendants could judge where they belonged. With no way 

 by which the birds could be watered or fed, save by break- 

 ing locks, or breaking the boxes. With absolutely nothing 

 by which the secretary could judge where they came from 

 or who owned the birds. 



In boxes so insignificant and so "cheap" looking, that 

 they would be pushed in under the tables or in some corner, 

 and .stay there till, jjerhaps a day later, the secretary told 

 the attendants to hunt around the hall, and among the 

 empty boxes and see if they could find the birds of so and so. 



Sometimes they are looked, and the attendants not having 

 keys, set the boxes aside till the secretary can hunt among 

 a lot in his pocket. Naturally, he is very busy, and the mat- 

 ter is put off. 



Sometimes the box is large enough, but it is in two com- 

 partments, with the entry tags tacked in a bunch over each. 

 There may be just two kinds of birds, but the sexes and the 

 young classes are put in all together, so that the attendants 

 must take out each bird, guess at what it is, guess at its sex, 

 and guess at its age, and those who have seen the average 

 attendant at a show, know how fitted he is for this. Often 

 he may be a well posted nurn, and may use his best judg- 



