Aviculture at the Amsterdam Zoological Gardens. 167


AVICULTURE AT THE

AMSTERDAM ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.


By Graham Renshaw, M.B.


Amongst recent improvements in aviculture, a prominent place

must be assigned to the handsome installations of the Amsterdam

Zoological Society—better known as the “ Artis,” from its famous

motto “ Natura Artis Magistra.” When the writer visited the col¬

lection some years ago, the smaller birds were well displayed in

roomy cages and aviaries: to-day they are lodged in a veritable

palace.


The new Bird House is a magnificent structure, with its

handsome, lofty outdoor aviaries, well provided with perching

accommodation, well planted with growing shrubs, well stocked

with healthy birds. Inside one stammers with admiration at the

fine spacious hall, reminding one of the buildings in the New York

Zoological Park. Quite odourless, the Bird House at Amsterdam

presents internally a double row of cages, the larger of these being

practically aviaries. These large cages have impervious concrete

floors, and are enclosed by diamond-meshed netting. The house is

flooded with light through the roof, and in winter is heated by neat,

compact installations of hot-water pipes. Large palms planted in

tubs add to the pleasing appearance df the building. The floor is

laid with tiles in tasteful patterns, and the house painted through¬

out in an unobtrusive colour scheme of cream and buff. The bird

house is continuous with an equally fine monkey-house : in the roof

will be noticed the famous Palconnier bricks, made of glass and each

containing a vacuum. In the outside aviaries, at the time of the

writer’s visit, there was a fine laburnum tree which had begun to

grow through the roof.


Many of the labels in the Bird House exhibit pictures of the

birds, excellently done in oils. In the larger cages several species

are kept together. Amongst the more notable exhibits may be

mentioned : a Cuban Thrush (Mimocichla rubrip.es), a Himalayan

White-collared Ouzel (Merula albocincta ), Temminck’s Himalayan

Thrush (Mijioplioneus temminchii), Andaman Starling (Spodiopsar

andamanensis), Pagoda Starling (Temenuchus pagodarum ), Malabar



