160 Correspondence. 



Correspondence. 



AN AVIARY CATASTROPHE. 



Dear Sir-- T feel sure that other avicnlturists will sj'mpathise in the 

 loss of all my best birds that I sustained the night of April 5th. I have a 

 large cage aviary divided into two parts, all facing south, and in the day the 

 glass shutters are down and at night they are put up. It is an ideal aviary; 

 the only things wanting are .rxtra large wire runs at each end. As T have 

 some birds that like warmth I tried to heat the building from the house by 

 pipes and acetylene gas, Init as I thought it unsafe and it gives off fumes, I 

 did not try it one day, but took it out and went to the expense of a boiler 

 and hot water apparatus. The entrance with double wire doors was at the 

 back, and the heating boiler was surrounded by galvanized iron with a large 

 air space between it and the aviary. It has been working satisfactorily 

 since January. The w^hole building is tarred outside and creosoted inside. 

 It was about 50 yards from the house in a line with my bedroom. I awoke 

 about 4 a.m. with a light in my room, and my first thought was the 

 house was on fire; then I looked and saw enormous flames coming out of the 

 aviary. Even from that distance I could see it was hopeless. Xothing 

 could be done to save the birds, and the only thing is I hope the fumes of 

 creosote overtook them and stupefied them before being burnt. Rain pre- 

 vented the surrounding bushes from catching fire, and luckily the wind blew 

 the flames away from the house over the lawn. There is not a plank left 

 standing. Amongst some of the birds lost were : a Rosy-breasted Grosbeak, 

 2 Argentine Thrushes (imported personally), 1 pair Orange-breasted Ground 

 Thrushes,* pair Green Cardinals, Blue Budgerigar, Gouldians, pair Parrot 

 Finches, Stonechat, Diamond Finches, Long-tailed Grassfinches, and others, 

 in all about 40 birds, and some very tame. I cannot think how the aviary 

 caught fire. It is very sad to think I put in this apparatus to make the birds 

 happy and safe from fire, and now this has occurred. I have used a paraffin 

 stove in a lower aviary with great fear some years past during intense frosts. 

 I once tried a carbon stove in the aviary that was burnt, but that gave off 

 fumes one day and killed 8 bird-*, and I luckily discovered it in time to save 

 the lot. ' M. C. HAWKE. 



[The above makes very melancholy reading and Miss Hawke will have 

 the sympathy of all aviculturists in her sad loss, and when this is a little less 

 grievous we hope an even more perfect structure will arise on the ruins of the 

 one burnt out. — Ed.] 



* "White-throated Ground Thrushes.— Ed. 



Club Dinner. 



The Club Dinner was held on the 17th April at the 

 Inns of Court Hotel. There was a good number present and 

 a most enjoyable evening was spent. A reception was held 

 from 6-30 to 7 o'clock, and after the dinner, a conference was 

 held, presided over by Rev. G. H. Raynor. 



