104 On Ornamental Aviaries. 



but pierced with the claws, and killed with terror. The wires 

 of the aviary should not be more than half an inch apart, 

 both to secure from this enemy, and also from that formi- 

 dable one the stoat, or common weazel. The aviary also 

 suffers much from rats and mice, the latter especially mul- 

 tiply exceedingly, from the abundant food they obtain ; to 

 prevent this as much as possible, the food should always be 

 supplied in the boxes I have described, or on a table on a 

 single pedestal. I had a circular tin-case, with holes at inter- 

 vals all round ; this was supplied by a large central box, from 

 which the seed dropped down into all the partitions, so as to 

 keep a constant moderate supply ; this, supported on a pe- 

 destal, is not inelegant. 



I will now shortly enumerate the birds most fitted for an 

 aviary : of course, none of the genus falco or the genus strix 

 can be inmates of the aviary ; they are very pretty appendages 

 to it, however, if they are braced and chained to a stand. I 

 have kept the kestrel and the martin in this manner, and they 

 are beautiful specimens of their kind. The genus lanius is 

 also inadmissible ; of the picae, the jay is a pretty ornament, 

 but too mischievous to be at large in the aviary ; the other 

 species are not sufficiently ornamental to compensate for their 

 mischievous propensities. I have never possessed the chat- 

 terer, ampelis garrulus — it would, doubtless, be a great orna- 

 ment to the aviary. There is a bird, which I have kept only 

 for a short time, but which, I doubt not, a little pains and per- 

 severance would preserve, and a beautiful ornament it would 

 be to the aviary, viz., the kingfisher. There have been in- 

 stances of this bird being rendered very tame, and if the stream 

 which supplies the aviary were stocked with minnows and 

 gudgeons he would be sure to thrive. The creeper is a very 

 gentle little bird, and easily kept. Of the passeres, the star- 

 ling is a handsome and very amusing bird ; but his habits 

 are so bad, and he is so destructive to smaller birds, that he 

 cannot be admitted as an inmate of the aviary, except in a 

 distinct apartment. The genus turdus is the great pride of 

 the aviary : they are easily kept, soon become domesticated 

 and familiar, breed most freely, and repay you by their song 



