Reminiscences. i8i 



(uprights) and save lacing. But the idea, although good, did 

 not prove altogether a success. It was unwieldy, and sagged very 

 badly. Moreover, one had to sink wire netting into the ground 

 to make it rat-proof, and then lace that to the netting" above. 

 At any rate I came to the conclusion that it is far better to have 

 6ft. net<^inp; and carry it from side to side sinking the ends i8in. 



deep and a foot out, thus : — which 



I Ground reminds me that in one aviary I be- 



» level., came possessed of there was a brook 



l8-inches. that ran through it, led in and out 



by drain pipes. Over the mouth 

 12 irTheT"' °^ ^^^^ drain pipes was ^in. netting, 



which collected the leaves and deb- 

 ris, aiiu so cuiiseJ a partial block, with the result that the water 

 tunnelled its way to the side, first of all, of the drain pipe, and 

 latterly of the masonry in which the drain pipe was afterwards 

 fixed. Rats got in through this adventitious opening, and made 

 short work of the birds. The motto is — " Beware of tapping 

 streams for the aviaries," — it is almost impossible to exclude 

 rats if you do. But this aviary is another story, and came into 

 my possession much later in my avicultural life. The next 

 aviary after my first parrakeet aviary was what we called the 

 " Cowhouse Aviary." It had the makings of an excellent 

 aviary but possessed certain inherent faults. But as space in 

 Bird Notes is limited, and the Hon. Editor has written for his 

 copy I must draw one more reminiscence to a close, and merely 

 enumerate my deductions from this short tarticle. They are 

 as follow : — 



I . — Build your aviaries with a view to the winter and not 

 to the summer. Birds will live anywhere from May to October. 



2. — Be a stm worshipper, and remember the north sides 

 of hedges never get the sun in the Northern hemisphere. 



3. — If you cannot accommodate your birds with decent 

 shelter, and by decent is meant warm, light, airy, and sunny, 

 supply them with eaves. 



4. — Keep your food tables dry and sheltered, also be sure 

 and have several, for the bullies of which there are always a few 



