Sydney Smith used to say a certain Bishop of London loved to

see in his clergy.


It should be the primary endeavour of every true avi-

culturist to collect all the most beautiful specimens which he

can obtain, and arrange them with all the knowledge he

possesses as to their nature, dispositions, and size. He will

make some mistakes, but these will suggest their own rectifi¬

cation ; whereas, all the endeavours of wealth and self-conceit

to drive out Nature with a pitchfork, will end in pitiful failure.

Again and again I have seen the most beautiful results attained

where means were scanty, but where love was large. I have

seen lamentable results of lavish expenditure but absence of all

true love. I remember once a rich man came to see my birds

with his poultryman. “Ah,” he said, turning to the lad, “ we

have the houses.” “Yes,” was the reply, “but Mr. Farrar

has the birds ! ”


In every aviary there must be Seclusion, whatever else

goes short—quiet spots for rest and retirement. Our aviary

should be like Jerusalem the vision of peace.” No ravenous

beast must be there in the shape of the domestic cat, it shall

not be found there. What the birds want is a place where they

may dwell safely and none shall make them afraid.


The man about to build an aviary will always meet with a

warm and fraternal welcome, and he will speedily find that one

touch of nature makes the whole avian world kin. Since I first

began to keep birds and passed from darkness to light, more or

less comparative—I have met with nothing but kindness and

help.


The third and most important rule is this. You must give

the birds close, constant, loving, personal attention. There is a

vast difference between the man who merely keeps a lot of birds

because somebody else has got them, and the man who really

loves birds for their own sake. The one pays a lad to look after

them and hardly knows their names—the other attends to them

himself and knows every sign of health and sickness. It is the

old case exemplified over again : “ The hireling caretli not


because he is an hireling.”


I have seen some of the saddest sights in such aviaries as

it is possible to imagine. Birds sitting about on the perches with

a sort of Roman gladiator expression, “ Morituri te salutant ” ;

water pots empty, rat holes abounding; and all for the want of a

little care, a little attention, a little love. You can never keep



