INTRODUCTION. v 



Having taken into consideration their classification in Nature, the 

 next point is to consider which of these birds should be associated 

 in aviaries. Well, if I only possessed two large aviaries, I would put 

 all the large birds in one and the small in the other ; but with better 

 accommodation, nicer distinctions should be made. Weavers and 

 Whydahs, excepting the largest, do very well with Rose and Saffron 

 Finches, Nonpareil or Indigo Buntings (but not with both of these), 

 Canaries and other typical finches. Cardinals are best kept in cages ; 

 or each species with a small aviary to itself. Diamond Sparrows and 

 Parson Finches are extremely aggressive, as also are Cut-throat Finches; 

 these are all best kept apart in spacious breeding -cages. Bronze 

 Maunikins are occasionally quarrelsome, and sometimes come to a bad 

 end by attacking a bird stronger than themselves. Green Singing- 

 Finches quarrel with other similarly coloured Serins and sometimes 

 get punished for their combative behaviour. Grey Singing- Finches 

 quarrel incessantly, but only with one another ; the fighting in their 

 case is not spiteful, although it rather injures their plumage ; the 

 more they fight, the better they sing. The White-throated Finch is 

 spiteful to many small finches, and needs watching. The Combasou 

 is quite harmless ; though meddlesome, he is a very good-natured old 

 fellow and a great admirer of the fair sex. Nonpareils usually quarrel 

 with Indigo Buntings and sometimes with Saffron Finches ; in the 

 first instance they have the better of the disputes, but in the second, 

 very much the worse. 



After making sure that your birds do not murder one another, 

 your first consideration should be to exclude all draught: compared 

 with this, warmth and sunshine are of very little importance; even 

 the most delicate of the little Astrilds will stand a considerable degree 

 of cold without necessarily succumbing ; but the least draught will be 

 almost immediately fatal. As regards sunshine, birds undoubtedly 

 enjoy it, but they will live for many years in perfect health without it. 



A cage for Finches, or indeed for any other birds, should there- 

 fore be open in front only; in other words, it should be what is 

 known as a box-cage : even an aviary when constructed on this plan 

 shows a considerably lower rate of mortality than if open to every 

 wind of heaven. 



Cleanliness must rank next in importance to absence of draught: 

 fresh air, which is a necessity, is one result of cleanliness. To secure 

 this, every aviary should be thoroughly swept out and cleansed once a 

 week, and all cages, however large, if they contain more than a pair 

 of birds, should have fresh sand twice a week; every receptacle for 



