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the aviary being of this size. The front of the aviary, that shown

in the picture, is wire to within i£ ft. of the ground. At the ends

the woodwork is brought 12 inches higher. The divisions

between the aviaries is wood 2^ ft., the rest wire. The roof of

the aviary is corrugated iron lined with wood, and is fitted with

spouting. The building is 6 k ft. high at the eaves and nft. at

the ridge.


The floor is cemented all over, except in the open flights,

where it is sodded with grass, half inch netting being laid under¬

neath as a protection against the inroads of vermin. In the

centre of each of the open flights are fixed earthenware glazed

baths (such as are used in cottages for sinks) 24 inches by 16

inches and 3 inches deep. I found it would have been better if I

could have got them shallower, so to remedy this I cemented

some small steps, made of common grey tiles, in each bath. The

birds soon learnt to use them, and are now quite fearless in

making their ablutions. I was amused the other day to see my

hen Barnard’s Parrakeet bathing. She splashed the water all

over herself again and again, and made her wings so heavy with

wet that when she came out she could hardly fly.


All the baths are brushed out, and freshly filled with

water, rather over an inch deep, every da}". They are fitted with

a plug and waste pipe running underneath the whole length of

the aviary, which carries off the dirty water into a dumb well.

The passage and small aviary are also each fitted with a bath and

waste pipe. Bamboo perches, about 18 inches long, are fixed

into holes in different parts of the framework, but I think of

trying some perches made of yellow tapped pine, as, though the

bamboo are very nice, and are not destroyed by the Parrots, yet

I fancy they are rather hard and cold to the birds’ feet. Scotch

fir branches are fastened up, with wire and nails, in each of the

shelters and glass-roofed divisions.


Two metal, painted, boxes are hung up in each aviary for

crushed biscuit and grit, and the seed is placed in brown glazed

earthenware pans,which fit into a ring of iron screwed to the wood

work. The seed-pans can be lifted out with great ease, and have

a flanged edge to prevent the seed being scattered. They are very

clean looking, and were made, to my sketch, by Air. Branuam at

the Barum Pottery Works, Barnstaple, at a very reasonable cost.


The outside of the aviary is painted dark sage-green, with

the windows, etc., in a much lighter shade. The inside is cream-

colour, faced with very pale green. The combination is very



