i8o 



R 



ciuiinscciiccs. 



Nesting 

 barrel. 



erii^ars, two or three nests of Jved-riimps, besides a nest of 

 Madagascars, and tln-ee broods of Black-cheeked Lovebirds — 

 all in the summer months. It was in tliis aviary that the system 

 of eaves was devoped to its fullest extent, and i)roved a very 

 valuable addition to the aviary. But I soon found that a pair 

 of quarrelsome parrakeets cleared lo or 12 feet of eaves, and 

 that it was necessary to divide them up with compartments with 

 a vertical board at intervals of 3 or 4 feet. 1 also proved it was 

 a good plan to put a shelf in the eaves 

 \» thus: — on which nesting barrels were 



\y ' placed. This formed a very snug shelter 



]^ for the birds, and being inconspicuous pre- 



V vented interference on the part of the other 



inmates. On the wall of the eaves were 

 nailed strong oak boughs, and under the 

 eaves were erected shelves for the birds' 

 food. In this way one constructed a reason- 

 ably good aviary out of what seemed a 

 hopeless proposition. But I cannot and do 

 not commend it for anything but a summer 

 aviary. I had a bird bath there, but found 

 the birds preferred to drink the dew off the 

 grass, and, in fact, to bathe in the wet grass. Parrakeets are 

 not great drinkers at the best of times. But this aviary with 

 all its faults bred two medal-winning nests, viz. All Green and 

 Cactus Conures, a fact I attribute to its size, its system of eaves, 

 and hidden nest barrels, and to the fact that the whole of the 

 north end of the aviary was boarded up. the boarding being 

 extended laterally on either side for 10 or 12 feet. This 

 ensured shelter from the North winds and comparative privacy, 

 in fact a virtual shelter with an open roof; and last but not least 

 to the food provided. Parrakeets require a varied diet as well 

 as other birds, but mine never got ripe fruit or any other fancy 

 diet — just the ordinary parrot mixture, as well as an abundance 

 of millet and canary seed. 



One more word before 1 close. The aviary was 8ft. high. 

 and I got the manufacturers to weave me 8ft. netting. The 

 idea was that it would, as it were, wrap round the poles 



