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Dr. L. Lovell-Keays ;



not. Personally I am still looking for the elixir of bird-life; still

seeking the key to the door of avicultural knowledge which will

banish for ever my arch-enemy Death, the invidious and crafty one.


But to return to our subject, the treatment of birds in winter.

Does it appeal to one as reasonable that birds that bask in the sun¬

shine of North Africa, Brazil, India, or Australia, could thrive in

the damp, inclement, misty, benighted climate of England? We

are told that the reason Englishmen make such hardy colonists is

because of our climate. If they can stand that they can stand

anything.


I will analyse very briefly and roughly my results. I may

say that all have ample shelters except one Parrakeet aviary, in which

there is an abundance of eaves to take the place of a proper shelter.


Aviary I. Well-sheltered from N., E., and W. Open to S. and

S.W. Birds consisting of Ruficauda Pinches, Long-tailed and

Masked Grassfinches, Alario Pinches, Orange - cheeked Waxbills,

Diamond Doves, Cordon Bleus, Pire Pinches, Indigo Buntings. Scaly

Crowned Finches, Tri-coloured Parrot Pinches, Melba Pinch, Violet¬

eared Waxbills, Necklace Tanagers, Lavender Pinches, Green Ava-

davats, and Red Avadavats, were allowed to go in and out at will.

Heat is provided, but, up to the time of catching the birds up, not

used. Result: Losses were three Long-tailed and two Masked Grass-

finches, both Melba Pinches, both Scaly Crowned, two out of three

Orange-cheeks, several Fire-finches (many aviary-bred), practically all

the Cordon Bleus (most of them aviary-bred), one Tri-coloured Parrot

Pinch, two Lavender Finches, tw T o Green Avadavats, three Red

Avadavats, one hen Violet-eared Waxbill, and two Necklace Tanagers,

—these last early in the autumn.


At the end of January, as I was picking up a bird nearly every

day I caught up the rest, and since then I have not had a single

death. Heat has been provided on several occasions since January.


Aviary II. Aviary rather exposed, but great abundance of

natural cover. Inclined to be damp. Birds included Waders, several

Weavers, Green Cardinals, Java Sparrows, Paradise Whydahs,Yellow

Sparrows, Cuban Pinches (12), Diamond Sparrows (a pair) Gorgetted

Thrushes, and (to-day) a few British birds.


Results: Cuban Finches entirely wiped out. Hen Green



