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from miles away, and passed the nights in the park, some lying

on newspapers and the rest on the bare ground (it happened to

be beautiful weather), for the special purpose of hearing the

Nightingale sing. Clearly, they are more civilized in the

Potteries than we are here in London. The Duke had the clump

fenced round, and did all he could to prevent the birds from

being disturbed ; but they have not since returned to Trentham.



MY AVIARY AND ITS INMATES.


By W. T. Page.


I cannot lay claim to much experience in aviculture—

though off and on for some years I have kept, in cages,

miscellaneous collections—more as an amusement than for

observation and study.


In September, 1895, I put up a small garden aviary, 15ft.

long, 2oPt. wide, 6ft. high, part open and part covered in—with a

small shelter shed at one end in addition, which the majority of

the birds scarcely ever use.


Its inmates consist of Chaffinches, Greenfinches,

Buntings, Canaries, Redpolls, Bramble Finches, Hedge Accen¬

tors, Sparrows, Grey Java Sparrows, Ribbon Finches, Black¬

faced Weavers, thirty-five in all, and they have lived together

in complete harmony. As regards food, I give one hopper of

mixed seeds as bought, and one each of canary and white

millet—with a liberal daily supply of sunflower seed and ants’

eggs on the ground, grit in tins, green food ad lib., grass in

flower, and mixed garden weeds—all stale green food being

removed daily—this gives variety and also insedt food, so

essential in keeping Finches and Buntings in health—and I

have proved one fa<£t, not generally accepted by ornithologists—

viz., that the above-named British birds will greedily eat the

gooseberry grubs and mature moths f Abraxas grossulariataJ as

many as you choose to give them. In detail—


Sparrows I have found very interesting, though wild and

noisy ; their quiet beauty requires to be studied under aviary life

to be appreciated—so viewed, a mature male is really a handsome

bird. I am convinced, from the preparation tlieyr made, they

would have bred with me this year, but owing to their being so

demonstrative at pairing time (though they did not fight,) I gave

them their liberty, as I was more anxious to breed the foreigners.


Hedge Accentors. I kept one pair for nine months, when



