50 THE AVIARY. 



approaching, and commences to exercise all its 

 power of language to amuse the visitor. There 

 are also some pretty Minas from Cochin China, 

 who imitate, in their peculiar voice, not only all 

 the sounds uttered by the birds around them, but 

 also the various cries of the Chinese, when vend- 

 ing their wares about the streets ; the imitation 

 is strictly correct. 



From the lower garden, — which is filled with 

 choice flowering shrubs and plants, — an ascent of 

 a flight of steps brings the visitor to another gar- 

 den on a terrace, to which there is also an entrance 

 fronr the upper rooms of the dwelling-house : 

 here the large and magnificent aviary is situated. 

 Both in external appearance, and internal ar- 

 rangement, there is a display of much taste and 

 elegance, and every arrangement calculated to 

 ensure comfort to its numerous feathered inha- 

 bitants. The aviary is forty feet in length by 

 twenty in breadth, and probably thirty or forty 

 feet high ; it is divided into two portions, 

 having communications from one to the other, 

 usually left open, but capable of being closed, 

 if such a proceeding should be found neces- 

 sary. It is situated on one side of the house, 

 the windows of which look through the lattice- 

 work into the aviary : the whole of the aviary, 

 above and around, having a similar lattice 



