My Aviary and Birds. 216 



SiLVERBiLLS: Ilaix only recently obtained a mate for 

 my odd cock, but they immediately paired up and built in 

 a rush nest, of course I am as yet unable to say with what 

 result. 



AlthouL;h the breeding results during the past fifteen 

 months have been poor, the mortality has been very low. I 

 have made a mistake in buying odd birds of doubtful agie, 

 and 1 attribute my poor breeding results to this fact, and 

 also that I have too many odd cocks in the aviary. Before 

 another season I intend levelling up matters and shall hope for 

 bettor results. 



Ir. the matter of greenfood during the winter and early 

 spring I find that a few wild seeds thrown from timel to time^ 

 into the fiight, and lightly covered with earth,, provide ;an 

 excellent food and tonic. I set a fiew artichokes in the early 

 spring, but they were all eaten and not allowed to grow. 1 

 also grow Mulcin seeds, which are a tit-bit for most foreign 

 birds. ^ 



BRITISH BIRD AVIARY. 



This is already a misnomer, but I must follow out the 

 plan of description with which L commenced — this flight, f4ft. 

 X 8Ui., was erected for the British birds, which 1 considered 

 would be better scparaied from the foreign species. 1 did 

 not provide any shelter as the back wall was thickly co\ered 

 with ivy and I coiisidered this would supply sufiicient protec- 

 tion fur indigenous species. 



With the ground plan and photos further description, 

 is uncalled for, though I had better remark cti passant that 

 my intention for this aviary is to reserve it for large birds, 

 when a suitable shelter has been adcicd thereto. A few nf)tes 

 as to the inmates. 



C.ALll Ok.M.A.N (,)IA1I.: These arc not satisfactory birds 

 for a small aviary. They uani much room and plenty of 

 ground cover, otherwise tliey are gi\ en to fright, and conse- 

 quent damage to many nests. Jhey laid nmety eggs, but 

 made no attempt to iin ubate. 



