I'isiis to Members' Aviaries. 187 



Visits to Members' Aviaries. 



Bv Wkslev T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



On August i8th the writer commenced a tifteen days' 

 vacation among three members' aviaries. Two days were 

 spent with Mr. H. E. Bright at Woolton, Liverpool, eleven days 

 with Capt. G. E. Rattigan, S. Devon, and two days with Mr. 

 vShore Baily at Westbury, and I now propose describing their 

 aviaries and birds in the order given above. 



Mr. Bright's Aviaries and Birds: Mr. Bright gave 

 a detailed description of his aviaries, with photos, in Bird 

 Notes for March and April 1921, and thereto I must, in the 

 main, refer my readers as to the aviaries themselves; certainly 

 this description does not at all flatter the aviaries. 



'FJie Main, or Large Aviary (No. i). — This is an admirable 

 aviary in every respect, fully equipped for the comfort of the 

 birds, and I was very pleased to note that Mr. Bright had 

 fully gripped the main essential of a really good Foreign Bird 

 Aviary, viz : that the shelter is fully as important as the flight. 

 This will be realised when I state that the shelter has a ground 

 area of 27 feet by 25 feet, and is fully 15 feet high at the ridge 

 of its span roof. The flight is 52 feet by 30 feet, and about 

 15ft. high at the ridge. The shelter is a substantial building, 

 being constructed of glazed bricks for a height of 3ft. all 

 round, and on this low wall the wooden superstructure is 

 erected. It is well lighted by windows at the front and along 

 one side, and one large skylight and four smaller ones in the 

 roof. As you enter the shelter a portion about 8ft. wide is 

 partitioned off by a wire netting screen, and at the end of this 

 portion are two decent flights against the back wall — several 

 large cages hang on the wall for new arrivals, etc. — apart from 

 these fixtures this portion forms one large flight, in which at 

 the time of my visit certain overflow birds were disporting 

 themselves. This portion is termed the birdroom for the 

 purpose of these notes. The other portion of this building, 

 some 19 X 25 feet, forms the shelter proper. Here the bulk 

 of the food vessels are placed, also very many tree branches 

 are fixed reaching from floor to roof, and forming a thicket of 

 perching accommodation some 6 x 25 feet. The roof of this 

 building overhangs into the flight, forming a verandah, which 



