102 On Ornamental Aviaries. 



be gravel. The perches should be most of them over the 

 walks, for the facility of cleaning ; and ample cover should 

 be afforded by evergreens, such as the phyllerea, ilex, holly, 

 laurel, Portugal laurel, laurustinus, yew, box, cypress, &c. 

 If deciduous trees be planted, the leaves will soon be picked off, 

 and the buds destroyed. If it should be intended to include 

 foreign as well as native birds in the aviary, it should be so con- 

 structed as to be capable of being heated in the winter ; and the 

 best mode of doing this would be to have the aviary fronted with 

 glass four or five feet from the wires, and the space between 

 ornamented with plants, both because they would afford the 

 best test of a proper temperature being maintained, and also 

 this would combine the sources of gratification and amuse- 

 ment. Should only a few foreign birds be admitted, separate 

 apartments may be so constructed, as to communicate with 

 the aviary in the summer, and to be shut up and warmed with 

 a flue in the winter. This is necessary even for the canary- 

 bird, which is too delicate to bear our climate without suf- 

 fering ; excepting those green birds, which appear to have 

 been less affected by domestication. In the gallinacii, no- 

 thing is so likely to preserve them from that fatal malady, 

 the roup, as constant supply of fresh water. This disease 

 has been shown, by Mr. G. Montagu, to be owing to a 

 species of fasciola, which fixes to some part of the trachea, 

 and which multiplies to such a degree as to cause death, either 

 from suffocation, or, as seems to me, by inducing inflammation 

 of the membrane of the trachea. That this theory of the 

 disease is correct, is confirmed by my own observation ; and I 

 am, moreover, convinced, that the disease is generally induced 

 by inattention to giving the young birds a supply of fresh 

 water. I have little doubt, that the fasciola producing the 

 disease is generated in stagnant or putrid water, and have 

 found the best mode of preventing the disease was to have 

 the vessels cleaned by scowering, or throwing in hot lime, every 

 two or three days. Mr. Montagu recommends soaking the 

 food in wine ; I cannot say I have found this remedy answer 

 iny expectations. I know a farm-yard where the housewife 

 is a most caFeful attentive woman, but she complains she can 



