232



Miss Rosie Arderson,



The heating is done by a coke stove, the coke used is

•small, about the size of walnuts. I get it through the blacksmith,

it being the same kind as he uses for his forge. It is rather an

expensive quality of coke, but I prefer to use it as it is practically

smokeless, and thus not a nuisance to our neighbours. The fire

is kept going night and day in winter, and, besides keeping the

birds warm, prevents the food stores from spoiling with damp.

A long strip of canvas stretches across the flat wire roof of the

flight, and helps to keep out the snow and cold. Later in the

year the canvas is just moved higher up on the glass roofed

part, where it acts as a shade, for the nests are often built very

high up, and the glass gets burning hot in summer.


Inside the aviary is whitewashed and painted pale green

and cream colour—which shows up the plumage of the birds very

well. Outside is painted dark and light green, and roses and ivy

trained up the walls. Every year large boughs of Scotch fir (the

only fir that I find will retain its needles) are fixed to the walls

of the shelters and glass covered part of the flight. No branches

are put really in the open, so no nests are ever built there, as

I do not like the idea of sitting birds or young ones being

exposed to wet weather.


Doves make such poor nests that I fasten up zinc nest

pans in the boughs—and put inside each nest some dried heather

—with plenty more material scattered on the floor, and this is

•constantly supplied to the birds all through the summer. The

heather, which is of a special kind, I procure yearly from F.

Hiscock, Ashley, Ringwood, Hants, who sells it at a reasonable

price. Of course there is always a good supply of ground egg

shell as grit in the aviaries—especially in the nesting season. If

I see any bird likely to nest I just scatter some grit on the floor,

besides what is always in the pan for the purpose. For often a

bird will pick up what is just in front of it, when it will not

trouble to go any distance to procure it. Years ago I bought an

“ Enterprise” grinder from Messrs. Spratts and have found it

invaluable for grinding shell and biscuit. The size ground can

always be regulated, but with the biscuit I always sift it after¬

wards (in a wooden box with a perforated zinc bottom) and the

small crumbs and powder come in very useful for mixing with



