Our  Canaries 
Now  rub  a  crease  around  the  rim  of  the  pan  on  to  the  paper,  and  then  remove  the 
paper,  spread  it  out  flat  and  cut  out  the  pattern  marked  by  the  creases.  If  neatly 
done  this  will  give  a  circular  piece  of  paper  with  three  pointed  pieces  cut  out,  each 
point  reaching  almost  to  the  centre  of  the  circle,  and  when  pressed  down  inside  a 
pan  it  should  fit  exactly  all  over  the  inside  without  overlapping  or  showing  any 
creases.  If  it  does  not  do  so  make  the  necessary  corrections  to  secure  a  perfect 
fitting  pattern,  and,  having  done  so,  you  may  proceed  to  cut  out  your  linings  by 
laying  the  paper  pattern  upon  the  lining  material,  and  cutting  out  the  same 
shaped  pieces. 
KEEP  YOUR  PATTERN  LINING. 
When  a  number  of  pans  have  to  be  lined,  provided  they  are  all  the  same 
shape  and  size,  or  very  nearly  so,  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  reproduce  the  original 
paper  pattern  in  thin  cardboard,  which  will  afford  a  more  substantial  and  better 
wearing  pattern  for  repeated  use.  When  all  the  linings  are  cut  out  make  a  strong 
paste  of  rice  flour,  and  when  cold  smear  a  little  all  over  the  inside  of  a  pan,  neatly 
lay  in  the  lining,  smooth  it  down  evenly  all  over,  and  lay  it  aside  to  dry.  If  the 
first  pan  is  turned  upside  down  upon  a  table,  and  each  subsequent  one,  as  the 
lining  is  placed  in  and  smoothed  down,  inverted  over  it  it  will  hold  the  linings 
down  nicely  whilst  the  paste  is  drying,  and  prevent  cockling.  It  will  afford  much 
economy  of  labour  to  have  all  nest  pans  of  the  same  size  and  pattern.  Indeed,  it 
cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon  the  fancier  who  follows  the  hobby  with  a 
method  that  a  general  unity  of  pattern  and  design  running  all  through  the  room 
has  immense  advantages  over  a  slip-shod  method,  where  cages  and  appliances  of 
all  shapes  and  sizes  are  brought  into  use. 
Many  of  the  advantages  to  be  gained  from  this  system  of  unity  cannot  be 
properly  appreciated  until  some  time  arrives  in  actual  practice  when  it  is  deemed 
essential  to  make  some  changes  in  the  cages  or  appliances  of  a  portion  of  the 
stock  without  any  disturbance  of  the  whole.  In  the  matter  of  nest  pans,  for 
example,  even  in  the  largest  stocks  there  is  no  necessity  for  having  more  than  two 
sizes,  and  this  can  only  be  considered  necessary  when  one  is  breeding  stocks  of 
greatly  varying  size  and  bulk.  Lancashires  and  Crests  both  require  a  larger  nest 
pan  than  Border  Fancies  or  Lizards,  and  when  varieties  showing  these  extremes 
are  run  together  two  sizes  of  nest  pans  should  be  used,  but  beyond  this  there  is 
no  necessity  to  go. 
THE  NESTING  MATERIAL. 
For  nesting  materials  soft  short  moss  and  cow  hair  is  still  the  most  generally 
used,  and  the  most  serviceable  for  all  ordinary  purposes.  It  is  also  the  kmd  most 
easily  obtained  as  a  rule,  being  a  regular  line  in  the  bird  market,  done  up  in  little 
bundles  containing  about  enough  to  make  a  nest,  and  sold  at  a  penny,  under  the 
name  of  nest-bags.  Cow  hair  may  also  be  obtained  in  bulk  by  the  pound,  without 
moss,  and  an  excellent  substitute  may  be  bought,  under  the  name  of  charpie. 
