196 Management of Cages 



cards, giving practical hints for helping the owners to 

 win such a prize. 



Of course the neglect is much worse in some 

 counties and districts than others, for the simple 

 reason that the owners themselves are such imperfect 

 ablutioners. 



On the other hand, I have seen blackbirds, jays, 

 magpies, &c., in cottages, or outside them, whose 

 condition were models of neatness and good health ; 

 so that it can be done ; and if it can't, people shouldn't 

 attempt to have any birds. I have gone so far, if 

 it is to be considered as going far, as to preach in 

 church at the children's service upon kindness to 

 birds, and how to keep them ; much to the children's 

 interest and pleasure. Certainly in that case I did ^ 

 feel I was not preaching what I didn't practise, which 

 is not, one is afraid, always so ! 



But kindness to animals is part of the gospel, a 

 fact that the Italians do not realise ; because, at any 

 rate in Naples, they hold that dumb creatures are 

 not Christians ! Consequently they can be bullied 

 and maltreated to any extent. 



The example of cleanliness is certainly not set by 

 all the larger bird and animal dealers in London and 

 elsewhere, for the suffocating and evil odours that 

 rush in on one's olfactory nerves on entering one or 

 two well-known shops are simply horrible. A lady that 

 I took one day to visit one of these establishments felt so 

 overcome, after five minutes, with the filth of the op- 

 pressive atmosphere, that she was forced to beat a hasty 

 retreat, whereby the proprietor lost a good customer. 



