104 Practicai, Bird-Kerping. 



sides and with a couple of rhododendron bushes in front so that 

 it is hardly seen. In another corner near the water level is a 

 small area of mud. in which the birds like to dig. Outside the 

 aviary on two sides are privet hedges to afiford shelter from 

 rough winds and the other two sides are pretty well sheltered by 

 distant bushes. 



All Waders like to have a great deal of sunshine, and a 

 South aspect is most desirable. Both in winter and summer the 

 birds may be constantly seen basking in the sunshine after 

 feeding. The aviary should be of |-inch mesh wire netting let 

 into the ground one foot and turned horizontally outwards at 

 this depth for another foot so as to keep out rats. The supports 

 for the netting should be of iron tubes so arranged as to be as 

 little visible as possible. A few creepers up the iron supports 

 help to conceal them. It is also a good plan to plant several 

 clumps of tall growing iris, ribbon grass, etc., close to the wire 

 netting both inside and outside. This helps to hide the netting 

 and gives a pleasing effect. 



As to Waders themselves, the great difficulty is to " get 

 them started." They usually arrive from netsmen or dealers in 

 poor condition — sometimes frightfully thin — and with feathers all 

 dirty through lack of access to water. Even if half-dead, the 

 birds will attempt to wash themselves, and as the feathers usually 

 under these circumstances fail to turn water the birds will look 

 " like drowned rats " every time they get wet and die in a week 

 or two, sometimes sooner. Then there is the question of getting 

 fresh caught birds to take artificial food. My plan is to put such 

 birds, in the first instance, by themselves in a covered enclosure 

 protected from wind and rain and only let them bathe for a short 

 time once a day at first. The water is taken away if necessary. 

 I feed them on worms and maggots for the first few days, then 

 mix chopped worms and maggots amongst the artificial food so 

 that the birds get use to the latter gradually, and in the course of 

 a week or so are ready to turn out into the Waders aviarj^ with 

 old established birds. 



As to food for small Waders when established, I give in 

 the morning bread and milk with small pieces of raw meat 

 amongst it. In the afternoon the food is Victoria poultry meal 



