on an Outdoor Aviary on the Italian Riviera. 185


of zinc over the wood ; and are divided into partitions—twelve of

these partitions on either side, with a hole to each, large enough

to admit a Senegal Dove ; but the whole shelter is open under-

neath, so that the birds can fly up to their particular partition

that they may have selected for building in, if they choose ; or if

disturbed at the entrance doors they can use the open space

beneath as a means of exit. Each partition can be a foot

square, and perches can be fastened across inside ; and on these

perches the birds can roost and shelter from the rain, or with a

few twigs placed crossways, they can soon construct their nests.

When once the nest is made and occupied, no other birds can

see into it or find it out, unless they actually trespass into the

partition. Being open underneath, all foreign matter is dropped

on the floor of the aviary, so that the partitions themselves

never have any accumulation of dirt; and old nests are easily

removed. All kinds of birds, from tiny Waxbills to Mocking¬

birds and Doves, will avail themselves of such retreats.


But I fear that in this larger aviary I have yielded to the

temptation of putting in too many birds to gain any very great

success in the way of breeding; although last summer young

were hatched of Virginian Nightingales, Ruficauda Finches,

Bleeding-heart Pigeons, Diamond and Senegal Doves, and also

the little Scaly Doves from South America, and another small

Dove whose name I stupidly do not know. It is not a species I

particularly admire; its size is about that of a Thrush, its

colour a sandy brown, with a white and black stripe running

along the length of the wing—(What a miserable description,

and how amateurish !). This Dove has a quickly-sounding coo

of one note— ou-ou-ou —which can be pronounced in a whistle,

ending each time in a query—(Again, what a description!).


Then, too, there were young Firefinches and Avadavats ;

but alas ! somebody (Pekin Robins, perhaps ?) did for all these

mites when they left the nests. The Avadavats—there are three

or four pairs—built repeatedly, and so did the Firefinches. The

Bleeding-heart Pigeons had three nests, with two eggs each

time. I tried to rear up one young one by hand, and a dear nice

bird he was, but when he was quite a big fellow he died. He

was very pretty with his large brown eye, and his chocolate-



