228 



spite of what learned professors say, often desert them 

 incontinently, if you do. Is it worth while to lose a fine 

 nest of youngsters just to gratif\' a moment's idle 

 curiosity? The only bird that will allow you to look 

 at his home, as /a?' as viy experience goes, is the Budger- 

 igar. You may lift down his husk and peep ; but I 

 would not advise you to go any further even with him. 



Make things unpleasant J or cats. They delight in 

 sitting on top of the aviary wire for hours and watch- 

 ing the birds. When this is permitted it is useless to 

 expect any good breeding results. A good garden 

 .squirt is very efficacious in such cases; or better still 

 an air gun. Have the grave dug all ready before- 

 hand ! 



// a bird gets 02ct, do^C t zvorry. L,et it alone and, 

 like the celebrated lambs, it will come home and 

 bring its tail behind it. I have had Zebra Finches 

 flying about for days, and they always asked to be let 

 in sooner or later. I have had Blue Bonnets soaring 

 overhead, rejoicing in their freedom and saucil}' jeer- 

 ing at one as they passed. I said nothing, but waited, 

 and they were only too glad to return sadder and 

 wiser birds. Hunger is a wonderful tamer, and poplar 

 trees, although lofty and nice to roost in, are not 

 sustaining to tlie Parrakeet stomach. I get up very 

 early the day after the escape, and generally find the 

 truant running frantically about on the wire on top 

 of the aviary seeking for a hole to get in. I make one 

 in the likeliest place I can find, and before very 

 long, he pops in like a rat, and I simply go and fasten 

 down the wire, and go to bed again. Rush about 

 shouting and waving a net, and you merely scare the 

 bird awa}^, besides making yourself dreadfully hot and 

 angry. 



