THE BIRDS OF THE AVIARY 



265 



II. Cages 



Leaving aside for the time 

 being the aviary properly so 

 called, the advice that here 

 follows on the lodging of birds 

 in our houses applies as much 

 to all small caged birds as to 

 canaries. 



The cage, considered as a 

 furnished home, is often un- 

 suitable, and therefore injuri- 

 ous, to its inhabitant. For a 

 single bird it ought to be at 

 least eighteen inches long and 

 eighteen inches high, while the 

 width should be fifteen inches. 

 Round cages, though very 

 pretty and easily suspended, 

 are not so desirable as square 

 or oblong ones. Birds in 

 round cages are subject to 

 vertigo and are not sheltered 



A Norwich Can.\rv with Hood 



Cage for Sm.\li. Birds 



Very practical in details 



from currents of air ; neither 

 do they ever have a tranquil 

 space before their eyes, as 

 they might were the square 

 cage placed against a wall. 

 Metal cages are very good in 

 the matter of cleanliness, but 

 they have the great fault of 

 getting rusty from the splash- 

 ing of the bird in its bath. 

 Wooden cages, varnished out- 

 side and carefully lacquered 

 with white enamel inside, are 

 the best. They should be 

 thoroughly cleaned at least 

 once a week or lice will con- 

 ereeate in the corners and 

 holes and thus become a real 

 pest. This misfortune can be 

 prevented by an occasional 

 coat of fresh lacquer. 



It is wrong to put polished 

 bamboo perches or any round 

 wooden perches in these 

 cages ; they should always be 

 semi-oval, as a mere glance at 



