CHAPTER II. 



THE OUT-DOOR AVIARY. 



There are two methods of breeding Canaries, either of which has its own peculiar merits, though 

 the objects desired by each are as widely different as are the results. The one is the aviary plan, 

 and the other by isolation of varieties and classes in separate cages. The former may be said to be 

 most suitable for general purposes, and the latter, it is obvious, is that from which special results 

 are to be gained ; and the two must be considered from different points of view. The aviary method 

 is best adapted for those who have no definite purpose, other than the pleasure derivable from 

 general observation — a pleasure of the highest order, though confined, in a considerable degree, to 

 the simple lover of Nature who takes her as she is, regarding all her manifestations with a delight 

 into which no question of how or why intrudes. To such, the aviary opens up a new world of 

 interest, peopled with forms whose outer adornment is of less moment than the beauties of their 

 inner life. These equally charm the fancier, who nevertheless is more exacting in his demands in 

 other respects. His admiration of the general economy of the aviary is not lessened if to it he 

 unites other aims, and seeks to clothe its tenants in higher forms of beauty. It may be, and 

 probably is the case, that any one ruling passion has a tendency to crowd out others ; but there is 

 no reason why one healthy feeling should absorb more than its due share of attention, and we fail 

 to discover any reason why the true naturalist and the genuine fancier should not be merged into 

 one in following up two branches of the same stream. 



We have said that each of the methods of breeding indicated has its advantages and 

 disadvantages. We may sum up the advantages of the aviary system briefly, by saying that it 

 involves only a small amount of care and attention, the birds being left pretty .much to take care 

 of themselves, to choose their own mates, and make their little world inside the wires as much as 

 possible like that outside. This putting the reins of power into their own hands removes all the 

 responsibility from the observer, who has nothing to do but to watch the goings on of the little 

 republic ; which will develop, among much that is beautiful, certain forms of government and 

 divers communist principles which the conservative fancier considers subversive of all order. 



Among these disadvantages is indiscriminate pairing, rendering it impossible to breed any dis- 

 tinct variety, though this may not be a disadvantage to those who, so long as they breed something 

 and have the pleasure of seeing it reared, don't care what that something may be. It would perhaps 

 be scarcely fair to charge the Canary with habitually pairing with more than one mate ; indeed, 

 the idea is foreign to the natural habits and instincts of the Finch family in a wild state. Half 

 the poetry attaching to the mere name of nest seems to consist in the halo of quiet and purity 

 which surrounds it, hidden with such care from the world. Still there are now and then evidences 

 of a contrary state of things even among wild birds, and no doubt the commotion which some- 

 times takes place in the ivy is nothing more than a noisy public meeting to take into consideration 

 the desirability of turning out of the community some ill-conducted member. The occasional 

 capture of a hybrid, too, is evidence of an alliance having taken place between members of 

 different families. These, however, are manifestly exceptions. The wild bird in her beautiful 



