212 WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



The pinioned caged birds and water- fowl are 

 beautiful things to look at, and the aviary and 

 flying cage are interesting, but the first cost of the 

 plant is large, and often the owner, becoming tired 

 of this form of amusement, or disgusted with the 

 sight of wild birds closely confined in unnatural sur- 

 roundings, decides to give his pets the freedom they 

 long for, or confine his efforts to only such varieties 

 as may be liberated, or raised in a state of semi- 

 domestication. 



The zoological societies should carry on experi- 

 ments in propagation, where the results can be 

 carefully tabulated and made available for the 

 public. 



Wherever anyone feels disposed to maintain a 

 private aviary and permit the public to view the col- 

 lection upon stated occasions, it becomes an impor- 

 tant adjunct to the education of the public. This 

 method has been initiated with conspicuous gener- 

 osity and success by Mrs. Frederic Ferris Thomp- 

 son with her extensive aviary at her country home, 

 "Sonneberg," in the suburbs of Canandaigua, New 

 York. 



The tendency even in the zoological parks is, or 

 should be, to get away as far as possible from arti- 

 ficial conditions of life, by building large flying 

 cages, large runways for the animals, and letting as 

 many species as possible fly or roam at large within 

 the main enclosures. 



The zoological societies of this country should 



