^8  Our  Canaries 
hobby  is  to  be  carried  on.  Where  a  spare  room,  or  a  certain  portion  of  a  room, 
can  be  set  apart  exclusively  for  the  accommodation  of  the  birds,  the  fancier 
will  be,  figuratively,  "in  clover."  But  the  greater  majority  cannot  command 
these  ideal  conditions,  and  have  to  be  content  with  any  odd  corner  of  a  room 
used  more  or  less  generally  for  the  requirements  oi  the  household  and  social 
requirements.  Then  the  difficulties  of  catering  in  the  best  possible  manner  for 
the  birds  are  often  greatly  increased.  There  is  no  question  of  keeping  the 
birds  in  a  certain  temperature,  or  without  any  artificial  heat,  even  if  one 
wishes  to  do  so  never  so  badly. 
AVOID  GREAT  EXTREMES. 
The  ordinary  routine  of  the  household  and  the  comfort  of  its  members 
come  in  for  primary  consideration,  and  not  infrequently  clash  seriously  with 
the  best  interests  of  the  birds.  But  difficulties  must  be  met  in  the  spirit  that 
they  arise  only  to  be  overcome,  and  if  one  is  reduced  to  that  worst  possible 
condition  of  having  to  confine  his  hobby  to  the  domestic  kitchen,  by  strictly 
limiting  the  extent  of  his  operations  he  may  still  find  some  measure  of  success. 
For  there  are  probably  few  such  places  where  one  or  two  pairs  of  birds  could 
not  be  comfortably  housed  if  a  few  main  points  are  given  proper  consideration. 
Never,  for  example,  think  of  finding  in  such  a  place  a  nice  warm  corner  for  the 
birds.  The  probability  is  that  any  and  every  corner  is,  if  not  really  much  too 
warm,  at  least  warm  enough,  and  the  warmest  corners  by  day  will  probably  be 
the  coldest  by  night,  when  the  fires  and  lights  are  extinguished. 
Then  there  will  be  a  constant  and  rapid  changing  between  extremes  of 
heat  and  cold  which  will  quickly  undermine  and  destroy  the  health  of  the 
strongest  bird  that  ever  lived.  Bird-flesh  is  not  made  capable  of  enduring 
changes  of  this  description.  No  ;  if  the  domestic  kitchen  is  the  locale  of 
operations,  see  that  the  position  is  as  far  as  possible  away  from  the  fire  and 
burning  lights,  consistent,  of  course,  with  freedom  from  cold  draughts  from 
doors  and  windows,  which  are  the  next  great  fatality  which  dog  every  move- 
ment of  birds  in  these  circumstances  by  night  and  day.  Aim  at  keeping  them 
where  the  fluctuations  of  heat  are  least  felt  whilst  still  perfectly  free  from 
draughts  and  damp.  Never  hang  the  cages  high  up  near  the  ceiling.  This  is 
about  the  least  healthful  position  it  is  possible  to  choose  for  them  in  any  ordinary 
room.  Never  hang  them  in,  or  close  to,  a  window  ;  and  never  hang  them  over, 
or  near,  gas  burners  or  other  lights  that  burn  in  the  evenings.  And  in  this  con- 
nection what  applies  to  the  kitchen  will  apply  equally  to  every  other  kind  of  room. 
ONE   PLACE  TO  AVOID. 
If  there  is  one  room  to  be  avoided  more  than  all  others  for  keeping  the 
birds  in,  it  is  the  bath-room.    Truly,  one  may  well  imagine,  this  necessary 
adjunct  to  a  well-appointed  house  is  not  requisitioned  as  a  bird-room.  Yet, 
