A Walk Round My Aviaries. 87 



pendicular, and his tail drags the ground. He is a 

 glorious bird, truly versicolor, for his coat is of all 

 shades and colours, and shines like metal in the sun. 

 His quietly-dressed wives, in their becoming plumage 

 of shades of black and brown, have a fine green sheen 

 on their backs and shoulders. What colours can sur- 

 pass these? Notice the grouse, the partridge, the 

 quail, and all the birds having shades of black and 

 brown ; how well these assimilate with the ground, 

 and what protection they afford to the sitting hen ! 



Now we go to the other side of the house. In the 

 first aviary are eighteen Gold cocks in full plumage, 

 living entirely in the open, exposed to the North 

 wind, roosting with their heads under their wings, and 

 very often with the snow on their backs. Nothing 

 hurts them ; they are as hardy as Cossacks, and show 

 incessant, restless motion all day, as they dance round 

 each other, and display their rich colour (it is a 

 bachelor establishment) to each other, delighting their 

 many visitors for, being in the carriage-drive, they see 

 many people. Nothing disturbs them, from a coal- 

 waggon to a carriage ; every errand boy stops to look 

 at them. No matter, they dance and flirt quite regard- 

 less who looks on. They feed from the hand, and seem 

 perfectly happy. The next aviary has not quite so 

 many, and, being less conspicuous, the birds are shyer. 



We now come to a pen of Reeves'. Here I dare 

 not enter without a switch, for Beaconsfield, as we 

 call him, because his motto is semper paratus, at once 

 prepares to drive me out. We have had many fights : 



