Out-door Aviary, and Birds for it. 135 



structure indeed the Wren's nest is ; so deep and 

 soft, with ten or twelve little pinkish eggs about the 

 size of peas, and the chicks when they appear are so 

 <leeply buried in their soft bed of down, that although 

 I have found their nests very early in the spring 

 once, I think, before February was half through they 

 always seemed to be cuddled in warmly and snugly 

 enough, under their little mamma's brown wings. 



Larks sometimes will breed, it is said, in aviaries, 

 but this I cannot answer for, not having ever tried 

 them ; but at any rate it seems as if they might be 

 less unhappy than one would have feared. 



Should divisions be wished for, a family of Tom 

 Tits, provided with a tree, on the branches of which to 

 hang, are the funniest and most impudent of pickles. 

 Their impish ways are such, that it is hardly safe to 

 .admit them amongst others. But even in a large bell- 

 <?age they ma} r display their ingenuity much to the 

 .amusement of those who like to see how naughty 

 birds can be ; or, though that is a little wicked, 

 .they may be suffered to persecute a Thrush. 



5. If a floor has to be made, a very good plan is 

 that recommended in the Cottage Gardener for making 

 -concrete walks. " A layer of stones, brickbats, 

 shells, or clinkers, six inches deep ; a layer of chalk 

 -or lime, in the proportion of one to ten of the stones 

 or other foundation, well rolled, beaten and watered 

 io the thickness of three inches," (for a floor it is 



