36-4 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



inches for the birds to light upon. The best food for pigeons is peas, but 

 they will eat oats and barley like the common fowl. Where pigeons have 

 not an extensive range, it is common to place in the pigeon- house a lump 

 composed of lime rubbish, loam, salt, and other matters, for them to peck at 

 occasionally, and which it is found prevents them from eating the lime from 

 chimney tops, and other parts of buildings which they frequent. In general, 

 a pigeon-house may always be made an ornamental object, whether it forms 

 a detached building, or an appendage to other offices. As young pigeons are 

 highly valued in the kitchen for pies, and full-grown ones for substantial, 

 savoury, and stimulating food, a pigeon-house is a very desirable appendage 

 to every suburban residence that has land attached ; but, where there is no 

 land, it is scarcely fair to keep pigeons, as they must necessarily live on our 

 neighbours. 



449. The aviary is an enclosure which should always, if possible, be of 

 considerable extent, containing houses for different kinds of birds. These 

 houses may be small rustic structures, each with an enclosed court, and 

 covered with netting or wirework, to prevent the birds from flying away, as 

 well as to prevent the intrusion of other birds in a wild state. In these 

 small enclosures the young are reared; and, when full-grown, they are 

 allowed during the day to go at large in the aviary ground. An aviary, 

 where there are five or six different kinds of birds to be kept, should never 

 be attempted where there is less than an acre of ground ; because few things 

 disfigure either grass or plants so much as a superabundance of fowls among 

 them, while the injury to the birds themselves, for want of space for exercise, 

 is proportionately great. The birds commonly kept in aviaries in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London are, gold and silver pheasants, partridges, quails ; red, 

 black, and wood grouse; pigeons, turtle-doves, Muscovy ducks, the Canadian 

 goose, the bustard, gulls, and curious varieties of the common fowl, such as 

 bantams, &c. There is however no limit to the number of species and 

 varieties of birds that may be kept in aviaries, provided there are abundance 

 of space, and ample pecuniary means. A number of the exotic birds 

 require artificial heat in their roosting-places during the winter season ; but 

 this is not the case with the kinds mentioned above as commonly kept in 

 aviaries. The handsomest places of this kind that we know, near London, 

 are at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, and at Cobham Hall in Kent. There 

 was formerly a tolerably complete aviary at the Duke of Devonshire's villa, 

 at Cliiswick ; but it has been given up for the last ten years. The most com- 

 plete aviary in England for singing birds, is at Knowlesly Hall, near Liverpool. 



450. The swan is one of the greatest living ornaments to a piece of water 

 of two or three acres in extent ; and it is useful in keeping the surface of the 

 water free from weeds. Swans require very little care from man, except that 

 of feeding them during severe weather in winter, and having a small house 

 for the protection of their young. Whenever there is a considerable piece of 

 water in the grounds of a residence, there may not only be swans, but ducks 

 of different kinds, curious geese, gulls, and other aquatic fowls. The swans, 

 as we have above observed, are useful for keeping the water free from weeds, 

 and the others for keeping the adjoining grounds free from worms, slugs, 

 snails, &c. 



451. The rnhhilry. — Rabbits may frequently be kept in the aviary, though, 

 unless the extent of ground be considerable, they are better in an area by 



