Cages and Cage-making. 39 



inner dwelling, which is made of deal, tongued and grooved. 

 It should be formed with double boarding, about three inches 

 apart, and the space between the boards should be filled with 

 sawdust, to make it warm. The front part of this compart- 

 ment extends about six feet; in it is placed a small window, 

 about twelve or fourteen inches square, and about five feet 

 from the ground. This not only admits light to the com- 

 partment, but enables anyone outside to see its occupants 

 without unnecessarily disturbing them. It ought, however, to 

 be covered over with a piece of wire-work, for fear of an 

 accident. The remaining portion is all wired similar to an 

 ordinary breeding-cage. The door, which is about five feet 

 six inches in height and two feet six inches in width, is wired 

 in the same way, and placed in the centre; but I should 

 prefer it at the end, with an outer entrance in the form of a 

 portico, with a second door to prevent the escape of a bird 

 when anyone enters the interior of the aviary for the purpose 

 of cleaning it out or otherwise. It is fitted with perches in 

 various positions, and has a few trees and some fancy cork- 

 work placed against the back wall, the latter being fixed in 

 a variety of ways to give a pleasing appearance, and for the 

 birds to rest on. There are nest-boxes of various kinds hung 

 about here and there, including cocoa-nut husks, cocoa-nut shells 

 in halves, wooden nest-boxes and baskets suspended by wire 

 and strings from the ceiling, and other contrivances of a 

 similar kind, which give it a picturesque and imposing appear- 

 ance. Self-supplying seed-hoppers are placed about in dif- 

 ferent positions against the wall and in other convenient 

 places, and water-fountains, also self-supplying, are placed 

 about the floor. There are also tins for German paste and 

 other special compounds to suit the different kinds of birds 

 which occupy it. The top is made of deal, covered with 

 roofing-felt, and tarred to make it impervious to wet weather ; 

 these boards should be tongued and grooved, but where 

 expense is not a consideration I would recommend slates in 

 preference to wood. In this aviary is kept a great variety of 

 both British and foreign birds and canaries, and they appear 



