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Devoted to the Interests of the Bird Fancier 



Volume /. 



J JlNU^TiY-FEBRUJlTiY, 1909 



U^umber 1 



OUTDOOR AVIARIES 



The practice of keeping live birds 

 in confinement is world-wide and its 

 origin is coeval with man. One of the 

 earliest edicts, uttered in the grey 

 dawn of creation's morning, defines 

 the relationship of man to birds — for 

 God said — "have dominion over the 

 fowls of the air." One can surmise, 

 our first parents wandering along the 

 river banks of the Garden of Eden, 

 listening to the voices of the little 

 people of the trees, enjoying the rap- 

 turous song warbled forth from 

 hearts atuned to the great freshness 

 of life, its beauty and its harmony — 

 an unconscious tribute to that mas- 

 terpiece which won even from its 

 great designer the verdict, behold "it 

 was very good." Wh^n Solomon trad- 

 ed with the spice merchants and all 

 the Kings of Arabia, when Sheba's 

 queen stood silent, overawed by the 

 wondrous profusion of gold and sil- 

 ver and precious stones, as her ears 

 drank in the wisdom of his utter- 

 ances, she heard also the voices of 

 many fowls; the haughty challenge 

 of the imperial peacock, the winsome 

 mournfulness of the dove, or the 

 seductive warblings of the bulbul — 

 for Solomon kept birds. If so, with 

 the wisdom accredited to him, can it 

 be deemed a foolish thing if we re- 

 flect a moiety of his wisdom and do 

 likewise? It is a strange fact, per- 

 haps indeed an uncomplimentary one, 

 that Americans have less of the spirit 

 of bird love than any other nation- 

 ality. Aviculture is practically un- 

 known, the interest in the science is 

 most limited; there is really nothing 



of that community interest and in- 

 formation which characterizes other 

 great centers of civilization. 



In taking up the practical study 

 of aviculture, there is much to be 

 learned, much to be done, many dif- 

 ficulties to be overcome and much 

 patience to be exercised. Birds are 

 simply living demonstrations of nat- 

 ural laws; the more faithfully we can 

 recognize and apply those laws, in 

 just such measure shall our avicul- 

 tural efforts bring forth beneficial re- 

 sults. 



The home of the bird under do- 

 mestication is technically termed an 

 aviary; and while custom has some- 

 what departed from this definition, it 

 is none the less true that the "home" 

 is an aviary, whether it be the grim 

 rage of the costermonger's linnet or 

 the palatial enclosures of the favor- 

 ites of a king or a baron. 



There are certain fundamental 

 principles absolutely essential to suc- 

 cessful bird keeping — principles 

 which must be observed, be it a cage 

 home or an artistic residence. The 

 principles are freedom from drafts, 

 damp, bad air and overcrowding. 

 Further, protection from sun heat, 

 from all causes of fright, from incur- 

 sions of vermin, red mites, mice and 

 cats. These shall all be referred to 

 in later detail. 



An outside aviary, as we desire to 

 use the term, must not be confound- 

 ed with a bird house or a bird room. 



It is an enclosure consisting of a 

 covered section and an uncovered 

 section or flight. This aviary will be 

 modified in its plan according to the 

 place where it is located; it may be 



