01 TIT 



BIRD NEWS 



roof. This will act as a rain and 

 wind break. A better way, both as a 

 weather protection, and in case you 

 desire to shut in certain specimens, 

 is to have the front, provided with 

 a door cut into upper and lower sec- 

 tions, and with or without additional 

 wire screens. In cold, or stormy 

 weather, the lo'wer half of the door 

 can be closed; shutting off all ground 

 currents from the birds roosting 

 within. 



It is a good plan not to keep seec'' 

 hoppers, or water vessels inside the 

 bird shed; but specially arranged in 

 the outside flight. 



The perching accommodations in 

 the shed will somewhat depend upon 

 the class of birds you keep. It is not 

 desirable to have non-perching birds 

 roost upon the ground, underneath 

 perchers; their plumage soon be- 

 comes most unsightly. 



Nothing is better for perches than 

 boughs of trees, coarse weeds, or 

 reeds, these can be fastened to the 

 walls of the shed, but not in touch 

 with the floor, lest some intrusive 

 mouse, from the outside, may like 

 Jack in the bean stalk, climb up the 

 pole and cause a panic, if not a trag- 

 edy, amongst the temorous inmates. 



The flight — i. e. the outside sec- 

 tion of the aviary is most important. 

 The frame, built of wood, must be 

 firm and strong. The flight is to be 

 covered with wire netting, the one- 

 half inch mesh being found best, even 

 for large birds, for this size will pre- 

 vent the entrance of the trouble- 

 some English sparrow, a veritable 

 nuisance to the owner, also to the in- 

 mates of large meshed aviaries. The 

 one-half inch mesh will be found too 

 large for many of the smaller foreign 

 finches, in such case the one-fourth 

 inch galvanized wire mesh is the 

 only standard available. 



The netting must be put on quite 

 tight and over the frame, not inside. 



One or more doors for entrance of 

 attendant should be placed at most 

 convenient place in the frame. All 

 doors should be provided with spring 

 locks and bars. The frame work 

 painted brown, cream, or white; sev- 

 eral coats of either color; with a lit- 

 tle varnish added, is effective for 

 many months. The flight roof is 

 better not covered in, except by the 

 over-hanging eave, already noted; 

 or as a substitute a strip of water- 

 proof roofing, oiled canvas, or tar- 

 paulin, which should extend about a 

 yard from, and flush with the roof, 

 or eave of the shed. 



The purpose of such provision is 

 necessary because many birds will 

 not roost inside a shed or building, 

 but will readily do so under such an 

 outside cover, especially if branches 

 are placed underneath. The roof of 

 the flight, should have a wire screen, 

 stretched over its entire area 7 his 

 is a wide meshed netting, fastened to 

 the sides and ends of the flight and 

 rising about six inches above the 

 roof netting, this prevents cats parad- 

 ing along the roof bars, or sitting 

 there upon for hours, awaiting? an 

 opportunity to drag some scared bird 

 through the mesh. Many a bird has 

 disappeared, and the mystery has 

 been unsolved — until the family, or 

 neighbors' cat was caught, fishing, 

 with one paw stuck through the wire 

 roof.. A similar screen should pro- 

 tect the sides of the flighi, and run 

 to the heighth of 18 or 24 inches 

 from the ground; this keeps off dogs, 

 cats, or other visitors, which are apt 

 to nab birds clinging to the wire sides 

 of the flight, a common habit, espec- 

 ially with fledglings. The floor of 

 the flight may have a portion in ce- 

 ment finish but must have ir,s larger 

 area ordinary soil. Special gravel 

 patches may be arranged. The dry 

 soil furnishe:; dust bath .accommoda- 

 tions. Underneath the surface, say 



