Our  Canaries 
35 
from  one  to  another  with  perfect  freedom  and  without  having  first  to  hesitate 
and  speculate  over  the  jump. 
In  most  cases  two  perches  are  quite  sufficient  in  any  small  cage — one  in 
the  upper  regions,  and  another  so  placed  below  that  the  bird  can  gain  easy- 
access  to  its  seed  and  water  vessels  from  it.  They  should  vary  a  little  in  size, 
the  one  being  a  trifle  greater  in  girth  than  the  other,  and  in  shape  should  show  an 
oval  section.  The  size  may  best  be  gauged  by  a  little  observation  and  will 
vary  with  the  kind  of  bird  being  catered  for. 
Look  at  the  bird's  feet  as  it  stands  on  the  perch,  and  if  the  perch  is  the 
proper  size  for  it,  its  toes  and  claws  will  encircle  about  three-fourths  of  its 
circumference.  A  thicker  perch  than  this  is  too  thick  to  give  the  bird  sufficient 
muscular  grip  on  it  at  all  times,  whilst  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  toes  and 
claws  completely  surround  the  perch  or  overlap  underneath,  it  is  too  thin  and 
cramps  the  feet  until  the  bird  must  be  continually  miserable.  They  will  also  be 
a  source  of  danger  should  the  claws  become  overgrown  before  being  noticed, 
and  may  trip  up  the  bird  and  cause  a  broken  leg  or  a  permanently  crippled 
toe  before  they  can  be  released.  The  perches  usually  found  in  ready-made 
shop  cages  frequently  have  one  or  other  of  these  faults,  in  being  either  too  thin 
or  too  thick  and  badly  shapen.  In  breeding  cages,  for  instance,  it  is  no 
uncommon  thing  to  find  perches  consisting  of  strips  of  wood  about  half-an-inch 
square  with  just  the  sharp  edge  planed  off  each  angle,  leaving  still,  for  all  practical 
purposes,  a  square  perch. 
POSITION  OF  THE  PERCHES. 
In  breeding  cages  three  perches  are  sufficient.  One  running  the  whole 
length  of  the  front  and  two  inches,  or  a  trifle  less,  from  the  front  of  cage,  from 
which  the  birds  will  gain  access  to  seed  and  water  vessels,  and  also  to  the 
bath  cage,  nursery  and  egg  drawers,  and  two  more  placed  crossways  from  back 
to  front  on  a  level  with  each  other  and  one  end  resting  on  the  cross-bar 
over  the  door.  All  the  perches  in  these  cages  should  be  made  to  fit  firmly 
and  securely,  with  no  rocking  or  tossing  about  when  birds  alight  on  them.  Swings 
and  spring  perches  are  quite  out  of  place  in  a  breeding  cage. 
In  larger  aviaries  and  enclosed  spaces  the  hackneyed  description  of  straight 
planed  wooden  perches  should  be  dispensed  with  as  far  as  possible,  and  natural 
boughs  and  twigs,  with  the  bark  left  on,  substituted  for  perches. 
OTHER  ESSENTIAL  REQUIREMENTS. 
The  remaining  essential  requirements  are  few,  but  the  furnishings  of  tke 
room  itself,  where  a  room  is  entirely  devoted  to  the  birds,  will  necessarily 
differ  according  to  tastes  and  ideals,  as  well  as,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  finances 
of  the  owner.  They  should,  however,  always  be  of  a  simple  and  practical 
description,  which  will  add  to  the  general  appearance  and  tidiness  of  the 
