234 



hope to be able, after a longer acquaintance with them, to give an account 

 later. This aviary I intend to divide into four for next year's breeding. 



Adjoining are the Parrakeet aviaries, which consist of a shed 

 iS x 12ft.. divided into six roosting shelters, each shelter having a flight of 

 30 X 6 x 6ft. high attached. In these I have, at present, Stanleys, Blue 

 Mountain Lorikeets, Many colours, Twenty-eights, Blue Bonnets, Crimson 

 Wings, Red and Mealy Rosellas, Redrumps, Cockatiels, Budgerigars and 

 Canary- wing Parrakeets. 



My bird room adjoins the Parrakeet aviaries and is over the stables ; 

 it consists of series of cages built round the walls, and two large flights. It 

 is well lighted with two windows each side, glass panelled door and two 

 skylights in the roof; it is fitted with a sink and has a cold water service 

 laid on. 



In these cages are some of the young bred this year and a few odd 

 birds, Weavers, Whydahs, etc. 



I am now erecting some Doves' aviaries at the back of the stables for 

 ni)' colony of birds is an ever increasing one, and the more I have, I am 

 afraid, the more I want. 



The breeding of the Peaceful Doves seems to be a rare occurrence so 

 the fact of my birds having reared three young this year may be worth 

 recording. The old birds nested on the front of an old rustic summer 

 house; laid two eggs, which hatched in seventeen days, the fledgelings grew 

 so rapidly that they were both out of the nest in thirteen days, and were 

 soon able to feud for themselves. They were very much like young 

 Diamond Doves when hatched, but soon became more blotched with 

 greyish white. In the second attempt one egg got broken, but the other 

 hatched and is now at large, and very strong and vigorous ; this one I 

 photographed, and is seen in the nest (which consists of a few pieces of hay) 

 at five days' old. 



The cock and hen would sit side by side of an evening, but I failed to 

 observe whether both took part in the incubation. 



One more item may be of interest to prospective Wilderness builders, 

 namely the cost which amounted to ^"25 for all the wood, wire netting and 

 nails; the sections I made myself, so nothing is included for labour; the 

 foundations, including mason's time, bricks and cement, cost £$ ; fountain 

 and laying on water, ^5; the rest of the work, such as leveling and plant- 

 ing ground was done by my gardener and no charge is included therefor; 

 the only other help was about three days' for another of my men in having 

 the wire netting of roof put together; and lastly the paint which cost 

 about another ^5. So I should think from ^"40 to ^45 would cover every- 

 thing bar the shelves, these had been in my possession for some time. 



This wilderness aviary was built in three to four weeks, being com- 

 pleted in June, and if it yields as good as per centage of interest to me in 

 years to come, as it has this year, it is at least a good investment if not an 

 HI Dorada. 



