THE


Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series. —Yol. VIII.—No. 10 .—All rights reserved. AUGUST, 1917.



FURTHER EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A

PAIR OF SHAMAS.


By G. E. Low.


The springtime having at length arrived, my Shamas, with

immense satisfaction, found themselves free of all bars and cages in

their summer quarters—a small aviary, of which they are the sole

tenants.


Owing to unseemly bullying tactics on the part of Bob, which

his wife did not appear to appreciate, also in consequence of a rather

sudden drop in temperature, I considered it wise to remove her

indoors again for a week. During this period I gave her plenty of

live food, and when she rejoined her husband she seemed in much

better form.


Almost immediately building operations started, in the house

provided for the purpose—a good-sized oak box, covered in front with

virgin cork to resemble a tree trunk, with an entrance bearing a

somewhat remote resemblance to a woodpecker’s hole.


Attached to their compartment is a glazed shelter, for sitting

in, one end of which is formed by the wire-netting of their aviary.

This wire-netting is fitted with a small door, through which the

birds can be admitted into the shelter, if desired, and I am in the

habit of sitting there with one or both occupying any portion of my

anatomy they may fancy.


On Sunday, May 6th, through a very unfortunate oversight


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