Reminiscences. lyg 



mixture, but with no relish. 1 have a few birds now, and on my 

 half holiday I yo to a famous spot near here where in April 1 

 can hear the chiff-chaff; in June the niyhtinyiale ; and in July tht? 

 melodious " gurr " of the nightjar. Here I take my tea, and a 

 spade, and bring- home a large amount of sand and comparatively 

 few live ants' eggs. I can tell by the tread where the eggs are, 

 and quickly collect a few hundred " eggs." The sand covers 

 the floor of the aviary, and the eggs are an ever acceptable 

 addition to the birds' menu. But this is digressing" — an incur- 

 able habit with me — Revcnons a nos moittons and let us hear 

 about your first experiences I can hear my gentle reader say. 

 lest the gentle reader remain gentle no longer. 



The first aviary 1 ever built was a fine large one WMth a 

 fine flight, 39ft. by 30ft. and 8ft. high. From an aviculturist's 

 ])oint of view it was a distinctly humorous effort, but like so 

 many episodes it began in comedy and ended in tragedy. I 

 think it possessed as many faults and draw]:)acks as a good sized 

 aviary could very well possess. And I found them out alright. I 

 think it was the dampest spot in the whole place ; the ground 

 never properly drained itself; in the winter it was mortar, and 

 in the summer, Ijricks. The grass was dank. Along the 

 south side was a tall hedge which, even if it kept the driving 

 S.W. wind off, kept the sun off just when it was most needed. 

 And hozi' many people think of the as])ect when they build an 

 aviary? It is a proved fact that sun and disease are as opposed 

 as the poles. Watch how a sickly bird will follow a ray of 

 sunshine as the sun gets up into the heavens. See its plumage 

 get tight, and its breathing get easy as the sun gets power. 

 And yet one sees aviaries so constructed as to exclude every 

 ray of sunshine as though it brought the plague with it instead 

 of driving it hence. Bird fever cannot revel in sunshine any 

 more than a goldfish can on a gravel walk. 



Then the shelter; its only advantage was that it possessed 

 an ever open door, and did face south. It was a simple hut 

 about 8ft. by 4ft. if I remember aright. About big enough to 

 house half a dozen pairs of budgerigars and a couple of pairs of 

 Brotogerys, Nevertheless, in it were bred innumerable budg- 



