Out-door Aviary, and Birds for it. 131 



would forbid the admittance of any ladies to the 

 large society. 



Of course this is quite a question of taste, but 

 certainly many persons would think that no amount 

 of song would compensate for losing the variety, 

 and for missing the pretty sight of the little fledglings, 

 being also deprived of the amusement of witnessing the 

 courtships. It is so diverting to see the birds singing 

 for the approbation of some very much sought for 

 lady, who sits meanwhile with her head on one side, 

 sometimes deigning to listen, but always pretending 

 not to see the gentleman she prefers. 



Canaries are said to choose their mates by song ; 

 that is to say, the finest singer has generally first 

 choice of a wife ; thus even for singing I cannot 

 imagine an aviary being improved by the absence 

 of all these competitions, and all variety would be lost. 



2. Mr. Kidd, it seems, did icish his birds to build, 

 and I cannot help thinking that their failure to bring 

 up their young was naturally to be attributed to the 

 immense crowd they lived in ; besides the nest boxes 

 were nailed, so Mr. Kidd implies, upon the wall, and 

 thus the idle birds had full access to them. Had the 

 numbers of the aviary been a little more within 

 bounds, or had a thick hedge been arranged all round 

 the wall for dodging about and hiding it, I cannot 

 fancy the difficulty half so great; and even a,j; the 

 worst, a good flight of canary hens would probably 



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