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teued perches cause discomfort to the bird. Circular perches 

 and thin perches are the best, providing as they do for the most 

 perfect and easiest approximation of the digits. Put the thing 

 to the test b}' trying to pull a clinging bird off a thick and then 

 off a thin perch or wire,— we shall soon see the difference. Or 

 watch a Wagtail in an aviary and see how it clings to the top- 

 most and thinnest sloping twigs of a bush, or to the vertical 

 wire netting. Could it do this with an upright broad and flat- 

 tened perch.' And if not, wlij' not.' vSimply because to grasp 

 the broad flattened perch, sufficiently hard to sustain its weight, 

 would put too great a strain on the muscles ami tendons. I 

 don't see why Mr. Acutt should question the advisability of 

 liaving perches with the bark on : surely this is simulating 

 nature, a thing one tries to do as far as possible, knowing that 

 branches of trees are used more than anything else by perch- 

 ing birds, and being rough are more easily grasped. 



The advantages of using sand over blotting paper cannot 

 be overrated. vSand of the proper thickness in the first place 

 absorbs water excellentlj' and .soon dries, and considering the 

 excrement of all insectivorous birds is more or less liquid and 

 at the same time more liable to decompose quickly, sand, by 

 absorbing this and mixing it up, thereby retards decomposition 

 owing to its not being so exposed to the air. Furthermore the 

 sand being rough and hard prevents those sores which are so 

 liable to occur on birds' feet which are continually treading on 

 sodden material. Blotting paper never properly dries and 

 remains covered with the excrement, which soon gets con- 

 taminated with septic germs on exposure to the air, and as 

 these septic germs are one of the principal causes of bird death 

 in cages, and as this sodden surface is so liable to cause sores, 

 it can be understood how easily these birds get infected b}' the 

 germs getting into the sores, so to the blood and the rest of the 

 body, setting up septicsemia of varying intensit3\ 



One great point must be always borne in mind ; — that is 

 that birds kept in small cages must be below par compared with 

 those in freedom, through not having the requisite amount of 

 exercise, oxygen, etc., necessary for perfect health ; conse- 

 quently such birds have not that vital power of resistance to 

 bacteria which they might otherwise possess. 



Feeding vessels inside are a great mistake. They only add 

 to the risk. Insectivorous birds are dirty and their excrement 

 forms a ver}' ready nidus for septic germs. So if the vessels are 

 inside how can one help food, etc. getting contaminated, and 

 as we know, septicaemia can be acquired by the ingesting of 



