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My Indian Aviary.



enough to the walls to just allow a mouse to run round behind

with a set out unbaited “ Nipper” trap at each end of the run is

deadly. They seem soon to learn the danger of a baited trap,

especially a “ Catch-em-alive ” one. If I find from their traces

that they circumvent a trap probably by jumping, I put an extra

one close to it with perhaps a third at the back, and virtue com¬

bined with a little guile is rewarded. A couple of dozen

“Nippers” cost little, give little work, and set with a little

intelligence, occasionally changing the locatity, will keep the

pests practically down to vanishing point. Any trapping inside

is done with a wire-fronted box cage without a back. Three or

four set “ Nippers” are placed on the bottom and the whole hung

or placed over the hole of ingress. On return from any absence

all nests and boxes are carefully examined and if necessary steps

are taken for destruction of intruders, but I generally find that

the enemy prefer to have their headquarters in the house walls,

and then they have to run the gauntlet of traps on the store-room

shelves. I have had no trouble from lizards, or insect vermin

large or small.


The ground in the flight is an naturel, or nearly so, i.e., the

clay soil and stone is left trampled as it was by the workmen

when building the aviary. Three or four feet along the outer

edge is turfed with growing sods changed as convenient or

necessary. This is watered from the outside with a little help

from the bhisti when changing the water inside. Flowering or

seeding plants, such as false Marigold, lettuce, beetroot, spinach,

etc., clump of wild millets and other seed bearing grasses are

roughly planted in the turf when available. The birds soon cut

them down to bare sticks, but it is seldom that they cannot be

replaced with something or other. Green or budding branches

are nailed or stuck up among other branches and are much liked ;

wild medlars and fir are most used as they are easily got and are

popular with the birds.


Branches cover the under roof of the covered portions and

the walls. Corners are stacked with branches to form bushes or

brush from floor to roof. Artificial perches run all the way round

the flight a few inches from the wire and about 5ft. from the

ground, one or two are also placed higher to allow the birds to



