154} ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



occasionally'removecl when they had grown too large_, 

 upon which the birds might sport about as in a state of 

 liberty : the gravelled bottoms of the cages, also, are 

 very objectionable. In the first place, they are often 

 very injurious to the feet of many birds, who, in a state 

 of nature, are accustomed to run upon the green sward, 

 but who are now compelled to walk upon what is, to 

 them, pointed and sharpened flints : there are numbers 

 of our native creeping plants which would grow at the 

 bottoms of their cages in any soil, and thus always 

 cover them with a carpet of green, pleasing to the 

 eye of the spectator, and doubly pleasing to the poor 

 birds, who would thus run or walk with pleasure to 

 themselves, and with more life and agility. Such spe- 

 cies, again, as show the least disposition to breed, (and 

 many, we have no doubt, would do this, if their habi- 

 tations were constructed on the principle we are now 

 advocating,) should be more particularly supplied by 

 natural shelter; that is, the shelter of leaves and branches: 

 dwarf trees or shrubs, having dense foliage, should be 

 put in their inclosures, within which the nests may be 

 constructed among the branches, and the females screened 

 from observation. The parrots, nearly all of which 

 build in hollow trees, might have such retreats provided 

 for incubation. The present mode of putting boxes 

 and pigeon-holes into all aviaries, without regard to the 

 different nature of the birds, is but a rude and in- 

 adequate substitute for more appropriate contrivances. 

 In short, we consider that the art of preserving and 

 rearing foreign birds in this country, is quite in its 

 infancy ; and our only surprise is, that, with the in- 

 adequate means that are employed, any species are 

 kept alive more than a few months after their being 

 consigned to such comfortless habitations. We re- 

 member to have seen, not long ago, in the Zoological 

 Gardens, early in the spring, when the cutting north 

 winds made us glad of a great coat, the Senegal turacco 

 {Co7-ythaLv Senegalensis) drooping in the same open 

 cage as contained a collection of English finches, and 



