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wall, necessaty to support the lower side. As far as possible, they

run North and South ; at the North end is the inner house, of

course all thickly match-boarded, and the boarding of the roof

is covered with corrugated iron.


I find it convenient, for the catching of small birds, to

have a door covered with fine wire netting between the house and

the outer flight, though, as a rule, such doors are fastened open.

The outer flights differ greatly in detail ; they and the inner

houses are all span-roofed, with ornamental iron-work running

along the ridge. The flight of one aviary is entirely boarded

over, and the whole length of its Eastern side is boarded too.

Most of them are half roofed with boarding and zinc, and half

with fine wire netting. The roof of one is partially glazed instead

of being boarded ; this seems to suit the Waxbills and small

Finches as a residence for Summer, and even till late Autumn.

It is an additional protection against wind if the sides of the

flight, or even the most exposed side, are boarded for a few

feet next to the inner house. The floors of the outer flights,

when entirely roofed over, are covered with river-sand and fine

gravel nearly a foot deep ; those partially roofed over are

gravelled in the same way under cover, and the open part is

covered with rich earth to the same level as the gravel. Here

I plant shrubs, by preference climbers trained up the

netting, elder, box, wild plum, and especially China rose and

French honeysuckle (the latter grows most rapidly and is

deliciously fragrant all the Summer), in them I tie little baskets,

nearly flat-bottomed, in which Doves of all kinds delight to nest.

For small birds I tie cocoanuts to nails and perches, generally

under cover, and put small box-cages on shelves in the house,

of course with the doors fastened open. Many perches, mostly

of natural boughs and twigs, are placed all about both in the

inner houses and the outer flights.


I may here give two hints. Firstly, that the makers of

such aviaries often send iron cross-rods to add to their stability :

it is well to insist upon wood being used for this purpose ; iron

is dangerous to feet alike in great cold and great heat. Secondly,

it is best to have wire netting, both of strong gauge (not less than

19) and small mesh ; there is no great difference between the

prices of iin. and Ain. mesh—the latter will confine the smallest

birds, and can scarcely be bent.


As I have said, the woodwork of my aviaries is all raised

upon brickwork ; they are not safe without it, and where rodent

vermin abound (which, fortunately, is not the case with me) fine

strong wire netting should be laid over the entire area under



