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CORRESPONDENCE.



BIRDS FOR PHEASANT AVIARIES.


Sir, — I have a series of Pheasant aviaries with mesh small enough to

keep in birds not less than Budgerigars. These cages, five in number, face

S.W., and are each about ioyds. long, 4yds. wide, and 3yds. high. They are

built against a building and, for about 3yds., have a glass roof; they are

open in front, except for a range of windows about i8ins. high, that keep

out driving rain. Under shelter, the floor is cement ; outside, earth

with a few shrubs.


I should like advice what birds would do and breed best. The

Pheasants apparently do not interfere with small birds. I think of one

compartment for English birds, another for Weavers, and a third for

Budgerigars ; but perhaps the Weavers and Budgerigars might do together ?


I should be glad of any suggestions from you or other readers of the

Magazine. Geo. Jennison.



7 he following answer has been se?it to Mr. Jennison :


If the wire mesh is less than an inch (i. e., f-mesh) you can not only

keep Budgerigars and all true Weavers, but even Ribbon-finches, Mannikins,,

and probably Parson-finches ; but I doubt very much whether 1 inch mesh

would be small enough to keep Budgerigars prisoners.


You might try Weavers and Budgerigars together (I think with

perfect safety) in such extensive aviaries.


Of British birds the most interesting to keep are the soft-food eaters,,

such as the Wagtails, Chats, Redstart, Blackcap, and Garden Warbler; and,

if you do not object to the daily preparation of a pan of egg, ants’ cocoons,

and biscuit, with a little fruit, I am sure these birds will give you far more

pleasure than the few finches which Great Britain can boast of. If you

prefer seed-eaters, try the Cirl-Bunting, Snow-Bunting, and Reed-Bunting.


As with British birds, the foreign insectivorous forms are far more

pleasing in many ways than the seed-eaters : such birds as Bulbuls and

Hangnests would look most attractive in a thirty-foot aviary ; and if you

secured pairs, I see no reason why they should not be bred. Common as

they are, Java-Sparrows are very suitable for such an enclosure, and, being

easily bred, you could soon secure a good stock : Necklaced Doves also,

which will breed in boxes like ordinary Barbary Doves, would be worth

keeping. A. G. Buteer.



ZEBRA-FINCHES EATING THEIR EGGS.


Sir, —I have a pair of Zebra-finches nesting. The hen laid an egg on

the morning of March 10th—the first she had laid. A little later I noticed

both birds in the nest eating the egg, and there was not a trace of it left a

little later still.


These birds nested about six weeks ago, when I had them in a large

cage with other birds, and the same thing happened then ; but I thought

probably they had been annoyed and disturbed by the others, so this time,

as soon as I saw they were building, I caught and put them into a breeding

cage, thinking perhaps they would do better; but so far the result has been,

the same.



