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mixed aviary. A large cage contains three different Tail age rs, who are'

kept out of the aviary because of the mess they make. I have also a pair

of Ecledtus Parrots, which have necessarily to be kept away from the

smaller birds; the same applying to twolndian ParrakeetS, an Alexandrine,

and another of which I do not know the name, either of which would be

rhucli too mischievous to be trusted with valuable birds. Another cage is-

occupied by a fine pair of White Java Sparrows, who are imprisoned in¬

consequence of their habit of biting the feet of the other birds. My

Rufous-tails, alluded to above, are also separate, as they have not quite

recovered from their serious mauling; and the list of separate prisoners

is complete with the mention of a Mocking Bird, who is of the most

terrorising disposition when in the aviary, leading the other birds a

shocking life; yet in his own cage his life is a perfect misery, in

consequence of his extreme nervousness. I have had him some eight-

months, and have not had the slightest pleasure in possessing him. In an

open cage, he simply knocks himself to pieces ; and in a box-cage, he sulks

on the darkest corner of his perch, and only moves to snatch a mouthful of

food. In contrast to him, my other Mocking Bird (V.H.C. at the recent

Costal Palace Show) is everything that could be desired. He sings-

continuously, mimicking every other occupant of the bird-room, and is-

perfectly inoffensive to the other birds in the aviary. No greater object-

lesson could be given, than in the totally different dispositions of these two

birds; and nothing could show more clearly the danger of implicitly

trusting in the dictum of writers who condemn or applaud a whole

species from their experience of a solitary specimen. This conclusion

has many times been verified by my observation of other birds of which I

possess duplicates; and I would enlarge further upon the argument, but

that I fear I have already been too prolix, so will conclude with a few words

upon gas and oil stoves.


For some years I have used oil stoves, but have now discarded them

because of their incessant need of attention. When properly attended to,,

they answer their purpose perfectly, and neither fumes nor smoke are given

off. The slightest neglebt, however, gives cause for “ accidents ; ” and if

there be any danger of their not being intelligently attended to, they

should not be risked in a bird-room. With a proper gas stove, on the

contrary, nothing is necessary except the use of “common sense;” and I

am sorry to have to admit that, through a careless moment, I had an

“ accident” similar to, but worse than those mentioned by Mr. Simpson.

Mv bird-room is heated by a Clarke’s Syphon Gas Stove, and one evening

during the severe weather of the past winter, I w T ent to bed earlier than

usual, and turned the gas full on, forgetting that, when the shop-lights,

etc., would be turned off in the neighbourhood, there would be a greater

pressure. In the morning, the room was absolutely black, and ten birds

were dead, oil the floor. It fortunately happened that some twenty or so of

my stock were at the Palace Show, or the loss might have been greater.

The most curious part of the affair was that, although every bird in the

room was entirely covered with soot, nothing took any harm except the ten

birds found actually dead upon opening the room. The stove was not to

blame: only my own carelessness'. Verb. sap.



OWLS AS PETS.


By Dr, G, C. Williamson 1 , F.R.L.S.


I have always loved owls. I cannot exadtly 7 tell you why I have done

so, but perhaps there are many reasons. I like big birds — birds that you can

stroke and pet, and birds that are big enough to seem like companions.

Then, again, owls are loving and companionable birds; at least I have always

found them so, and I have had to do with a good many in mv time.


Had you ever seen my Tawny Owl (Strix stridula) nestle up close

to my face, or get under my coat below my shoulder and make a warm

hiding-place for himself there, and occasionally peer out with his big, rolling



