Practical Bird-Keeping. 261


apparent. The water is supplied by pipe just above the level of

the walls, and as the adjoining soil is gravel and sand I merely

turn on a tap outside the aviary for a short time every few days

and let the pond overflow and the surplus water drain away into

the surrounding soil.


Near the pond are a few square yards of sand, which is

kept fresh by raking and a fresh sprinkling of sand given weekly.

In one corner of the aviary is a little shelter shed open on two

sides and with a couple of rhododendron bushes in front so that

it is hardly seen. In another corner near the water level is a

small area of mud, in which the birds like to dig. Outside the

aviary 011 two sides are privet hedges to afford shelter from

rough winds and the other two sides are pretty well sheltered by

distant bushes.


All Waders like to have a great deal of sunshine, and a

South aspect is most desirable. Both in winter and summer the

birds may be constantly seen basking in the sunshine after

feeding. The aviary should be of f-inch mesh wire netting let

into the ground one foot and turned horizontally outwards at

this depth for another foot so as to keep out rats. The supports

for the netting should be of iron tubes so arranged as to be as

little visible as possible. A few creepers up the iron supports

help to conceal them. It is also a good plan to plant several

clumps of tall growing iris, ribbon grass, etc., close to the wire

netting both inside and outside. This helps to hide the netting

and gives a pleasing effect.


As to Waders themselves, the great difficulty is to “ get

them started.” They usually arrive from netsmen or dealers in

poor condition—sometimes frightfully thin—and with feathers all

dirty through lack of access to water. Even if half-dead, the

birds will attempt to wash themselves, and as the feathers usually

under these circumstances fail to turn water the birds will look

“ like drowned rats ” every time they get wet and die in a week

or tw T 0, sometimes sooner. Then there is the question of getting

fresh caught birds to take artificial food. My plan is to put such

birds, in the first instance, by themselves in a covered enclosure

protected from wind and rain and only let them bathe for a short

time once a day at first. The water is taken away if necessary.



