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299 

 fIDp Hviaries. 



By Mrs. Bromet. 



s I have kept birds for some \ears, both 

 British and Foreign, it may interest some of 

 our members to hear about my aviaries and 

 birds. 



I have two aviaries built against a brick wall 

 facing west : the inner portion of the larger aviary is 

 18 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 7 feet high at the eaves. 

 It is a wooden structure with a span roof and entire 

 glass front (wired outside and protected from the glare 

 of the sun by green Venetian blinds), folding doors at 

 the south end, half glass, half wood, so that I can open 

 half or fold both back against the wall. In summer, 

 from June to the end of September, these doors are 

 always open, thus giving the birds free access into an 

 outer flight 27 feet long by 8 feet wide and 7 feet high, 

 covered with i inch wire netting. The inner portion 

 of the aviary has a concrete floor, and there is a 

 fountain with a basin 3 inches deep ; the overflow 

 from this runs down a small concrete gutter into a 

 ditch in the outer flight. 



At the north end of the aviary is a small brick 

 house fitted with stove and boiler to heat the water 

 pipes ; these I can regulate, either having two or four 

 on according to the weatlier ; the temperature is never 

 lower than 60". The fountain and gutter are brushed 

 out every day. On the window is a thin iron bar to hang 

 the seed tins on ; the aviary is also fitted with electric 

 light for use in foggy weather. The concrete floor is 

 covered with peat moss and river sand, and is raked 

 over daily ; there is always a good supply of lime grit, 

 cuttle fish bone, and rock salt. The flight is planted 

 with small spruce and box trees, large ferns, reeds, 

 primroses, etc. ; the back is boarded against the wall 

 and has a narrow shelf the whole length about 2 feet 



