INDOOR AVIARIES 



83 



We have known of even a larger niunbcr 

 than this to be allowed. With these 

 extra wives the cocks are kept too busy 

 to fight much. This has reference more 

 especially to Canaries, as male British 

 birds flying together in an aviary during 

 the breeding season are not of svich a 

 spiteful disposition. 



Such a room as this could be divided 

 off, if of good size, by means of a fine 

 g-inch mesh wire netting partition, thus 

 making two aviaries. The wire should 

 be fixed on a wooden frame and a door 

 made either at one side or in the centre 

 of the partition to connect the two aviaries. 

 The wire partition will in no wise obstruct 

 the light, whatever may be the arrange- 

 ment of the windows. 



Canaries could then be caged in one 

 side, and British or foreign birds in the 

 other, or, if Canaries are not kept, British 

 birds could occujiy one side and foreigners 

 the other. We are strongly of the view 

 that insectivorous and seed-eating birds 

 should have separate aviaries, and from 

 experience we are certain that they do 

 best when so classified. 



Then again, if desired, such a room 

 may be divided off down each side, into a 

 number of smaller aviaries, of, say, three 

 or four feet in length, the same in height, 

 and about eighteen inches or two feet 

 deep from back to front. Under this 

 arrangement the aviaries could be made 

 one above the other, and carried up to 

 within eighteen inches of the ceiling, or 

 the ceiling may be allowed to form the 

 roof of the topmost one — the top of 



one aviary forming the bottom of another. 

 The centre of the room could be re- 

 served for a table on whicli to prepare 

 the birds' food, and a chair, or other con- 

 venience for the fancier's accommodation. 



Aviaries arranged in this manner round 

 a well-lighted spare room are excellent 

 for hybrid-breeders who wish to try a 

 number of different crosses at the same 

 time. Such an indoor aviary may be 

 carried out to the utmost extent of elegance 

 and elaboration. W^hat it may be made is 

 suggested by the illustration on page 75. 

 But even in such an ornithological para- 

 dise, the essential matters for attention will 

 be just the same, and no more, than those 

 that have already been mentioned. 



Such we take to be the leading features 

 of the aviary system ; which, it will be 

 manifest, is rather a means of general 

 interest and source of pleasure to the 

 general observer, than a method of carrying 

 out any specific system of breeding with 

 the object of bringing about definite results. 

 It has been our aim to present it in this its 

 true light, and we feel assured that those 

 Avho make it their study will discover in 

 it many beauties we have failed to point 

 out ; they will find it a world which in- 

 sensibly becomes peopled with creations 

 of which they once knew nothing, with 

 which they can hold converse and enter 

 into companionship. Their own world of 

 observation will be considerably enlarged 

 by even this small peep into the vast domain 

 open to the inquirer who, at every step, 

 recognises the evidences of a Wisdom 

 " past finding out." 



UZARU CANARIES. 



