IOX


THE GARDEN AVIARY IN WINTER.


By Chas. R. Rothera.


It may seem somewhat previous to be writing about the

effects of the winter on the occupants of our garden aviary so

early as ioth January, for many times and oft wintery weather

has scarcely set in at that date. But the vagaries of our English

climate are so proverbial that one may justifiably hope and

certainly assume that, as the days are visibly lengthening and

the sun is already climbing up the hill again and gaining strength

and power by the effort, we shall not have any more bitter or

unpleasant weather than December brought us. It is not often

that 160 or iS° of frost are recorded and several inches of snow

fall and lie for a fortnight before Xmas day as was the case in

1899 ; and in addition to this we had a long cold thaw, dense fogs

for two or three days in succession more than once ; drenching

rains, gales of wind and heavy rime frost fixing its white

crystals so thickly upon the wire netting as to render it almost

solid and quite impossible to see through. Ret come what may,

the conditions during the next two months can hardly be more

unfavourable. And how have our pets fared through it ? The

only losses I have to record are two red-lieaded Gouldian Finches

(both cocks) which succumbed on the same day (5th January).

My caretaker had strict orders to keep a close watch on them and

to bring them in at once if he noticed any signs of distress, but

it was only on Thursday that one of them looked lumpy and

next day both died. They were well fed and in perfect plumage

and I imagine their death was due to lung affedtion. A hen

Japanese Robin has died, too, but I attribute this to the ill-

treatment to which an English cock Robin has subjected her and

which has secured for him his liberty again. I regret her loss,

for she has hatched three nests of young ones though she failed

to rear them for more than a few days. But she might have

done better next time.


Now, I consider this an extraordinary record for such a

season, considering the character of our collection. Ret me

enumerate : various Weavers, Whydahs, Combassou, Silverbills,

St. Helena Waxbills, Grey Waxbills, Orangecheeks, Avadavats,

Parson Finches, Zebra Finches, Diamond Sparrows, Nutmeg

Finch, Black-headed Nuns, Green and Grey Singing Finches,

Indigoes, Nonpareils, Cordon Bleus, Bengalese, cock Blue

Robin, Saffron Finches, Bulbul, Comoro Finches, and numerous

smaller Parrakeets and Rove-birds and the like, also Cardinals



