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up to and above 6o°. It gives remarkably little trouble ; and

although, in cold weather, it consumes a great deal of paraffin, yet

it supplants the coal fire which, with or without the birds would

without it be necessary ; and even for living purposes the room

is distinctly more comfortable than it would be if heated by a

fire, as it is always warm and ready, night and day. The fumes

from all these stoves are slightly objectionable, notwithstanding

that one gets so used to them as not to notice them ; and some¬

times I feel sorry that I did not obtain a hot water stove instead ;

but I doubt if a hot water stove of reasonable size would have

kept up the temperature so well ; and it probably would not

have been so convenient in a dining-room.


NESTING BOXES.'—I am under the impression that

inquiries have been made in our pages concerning nesting

boxes. Mrs. Rotch, the mother of our valued member Mr.

Claude D. Rotch, herself an enthusiastic aviculturist, very kindly

gave me the other day a pamphlet published by the Peasant Arts

Society, 8, Queen’s Road, Bayswater, London, in which an

account, with illustrations, of nesting boxes for wild birds may

be found, and at which address I understand the nesting boxes

may be obtained. Some of these it seems natural to suppose

would be equally suitable for birds in captivity. Log-nests for

Parrakeets, &c., with saucer-shaped bottoms, so far as I know,

can be obtained in this country only from Mr. J. Abrahams fb ),

192, St. George Street, London, E. See also pp. 39, 128, and 161,

of Vol. VI.


SOFT SOAP.—I was reminded by a lady the other day of a

little, very little, thing which occasionally gives a great deal of

trouble. I refer to the red mite. If soft soap, used as bought, be

smeared over the chinks and crevices in cages and aviaries, 3^011

will not be troubled with vermin of this kind. When cages are

stacked one on the top of another, if soft soap be smeared freel} 7

where the cages come in contact with one another, they ma}^ be

left unmoved for a year and more without the slightest tear. No

fear need be entertained of the birds touching it; only take care

that it be not placed where they may soil their feathers. Care

also should be exercised when nesting boxes are being prepared,

so as not to repel the birds themselves.


I have used soft soap with satisfactory- results for a very

different purpose. Some of the small Parrakeets (I should think


(£) The news of Mr. Abrahams’ sudden death must have come as a shock to many

besides myself. His death will be a great loss to the avicultural world.—R. P.



