34 Bnd^enf^ars " French Moult.''' 



I sliall now (iiiote V . Alcrel's article in L.'Oiscaii almost 

 /'// cxtcnso : 



" The l')U(l<^t'ri^;ir, \\lu)se soft and harmonious Iwitlerinfj in no 

 wav ri-scmhlos, vor\ fortunali'l\-. its larj^cr congeners .... its 

 general form resembles the Swallow, except the tail, which si)reads out 

 f.anwise like the I'heasants .... The r.n(l}.iei"i<4ar, like all Austra- 

 lian birds, is vei\- hardy and acclimatises easily in Central ICurope. The 

 best and most sou<.;hl for are tliosc wliich arc liorn' in France of really 

 imported l)irds, but these are rather rare subjects. The reproduction of 

 imported ])arrakeets is not so easy to ol)tain as one would tln'nk 

 our winter corresponds to their summer, and imported birds bes.;in to 

 breed in the coldest months of the year: this must be avoided at all costs, 

 for they would thus exhaust themselves uselessly. The imported ])arra- 

 kcet, which one has succeeded in acclimatisinjT, must therefore not be 

 allowed in the aviary until the s])rino\ and durinj^- the wilUer all 

 inclination to breed must be prevented by keepint^ them caged uj), and 

 even bv separating the sexes." 



" Let us suppose then that the amateur is in ]iosscssion of some good 

 acclimatised pairs, or issues of imported birds, and that the spring- In-". 

 arrived, the first thing to do is to instal them. The best exposure is that 

 of the East. The birds have thus the first rays of the .sun to warm them- 

 selves from the torpor of the night, and they are sheltered from the 

 midday heat. For ten to twelve i)airs .a ])lace of 6| square yards is 

 Tiecessary. The ]ilace being chosen, by yireference against ;i well c.\]^ose;l 

 wall, the soil will be dug up on .ill the surface which the aviary will 

 occu])y, to a.bout tl.e depth of ;i ft.ot , in the bottom, well-levelled, lay 

 wire netting, of a sufficiently fine mesh to exclude mice, which ^-oil and 

 waste the food, from gaining ;in entr.ance through the soil : tlu-n will 

 lie l)uilt U]), on this netting, the sni.all walls, which must form the base 

 to receive the framing of tlie installation, that is to say, the complete 

 shelter, the half slielter, .and the open flight. 



" The complete shelter is a shed, or rather cu])board, place<1 against 

 the wall 6^ft. wide, 35ft. deep, aiid 7^ft. high. The frpj.it, which is 

 mo\cable in order th.at it may be t.aken ;iway in summer, has ;i iloor in 

 the middle, .and two sm.all glazed openings to lighten the interior. .Above 

 the door, ;ill the length of tlie front, are holes, liJin. dia.. .above these 

 holes, forming ;i set of sheKes, will be nailed a small shelf for the"birtls 

 to rest upon, this will be their b.alcony. The half-shelter is constituted 

 by the roof, which iirojects ;i y.ird , the sides, inst'ad of being of pl.ank. 

 as in the complete shelter, are of wire netting. The butlgerig^ar often 

 having the deplorable habit of sleeping hung on to the netting, it will 

 be advisable to nail two nettings on to the posts formings the frame. 

 which must be .it least jins. thick. The first, of the same small mcsii 

 as the one buried in the soil : the second of a larger mesh on tlie outside. 

 These nettings thus being se]i;ir;ite(l b\ the thickness of the posts, will 

 l)revent cats de\ouriiig the claws of imprudenl birds. In order to cor: 

 ])lete the installation, it will suffice to contrive a rather low door in t' c 



