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sticking out from some loose boards in a corner, and on lifting 

 these up found a hole completely filled with dead birds, but 

 could see no communication whatever with the outside. 



When I examined the bodies they were not mutilated in 

 any way, but there were punctures either on the head or the 

 neck made by the small sharp teeth of some animal, which had 

 sucked out all the blood from the victims. One of the 

 Budgerigars, however, was without these wounds, but there 

 was a large patch of extravasated blood on the head evidently 

 caused by the bird banging itself about against the wire in its 

 flight. So that one at all events had not been killed by the 

 invading animal, whatever it might have been. 



My correspondent had suggested rats, a weasel or a stoat. 



Rats however would have mutilated the remains, and the 

 teeth marks were too small to be those of a stoat, consequently 

 in my opinion the death of the birds was brought about by a 

 weasel or weasels, which by some means had gained access to 

 the interior of the aviary, possibly through a hole made by 

 mice which had escaped the gardener's notice. 



It is not usual for weasels to drag away their victims and 

 hide their bodies, though the}' appear to have done so in this 

 case, and the gardener thought, as some of the birds were 

 altogether missing, they must have been dragged into an 

 adjoining wood. 



Perhaps some of the readers of Bird Notes may have had 

 some experience of weasels in a similar case, and will be able to 

 say if they have ever known them act in that manner, as I 

 have generall}' known them to leave the bodies after sucking 

 the blood. W. T. Greene. 



MRS. VERNON'S BIRD ROOM. 



Sir, — I venture to send you a few lines on my indoor bird- 

 room in hopes that they may be of some assistance to beginners 

 in aviculture. 



First, the room is vS. West as to aspect and has the greatest 

 amount of sunshine possible, for it is wonderful what even a 

 short half hour's sun will do to cheer and brighten up the 

 foreign birds, especially after days of rain such as we have 



