on the Size of Aviaries and Cages. 103


flock of birds of various kinds, have seen them refuse food and

perish in a few days.


I11 a large aviary very vigorous birds are apt to become

bullies and to make all the other inhabitants miserable. Or in¬

dividuals may feed to excess, to their own detriment and result-

in the starvation of other birds. Such individuals, or those

showing signs of impaired health, should be removed as soon as

possible, but as catching them is almost impossible, irreparable

mischief is often done without an) r possibility of arresting it.


I will now briefly discuss the before-mentioned new Public

Bird-houses. Taking them in their order, I begin with the New

York Bird-house opened in July last. It claims “to excel

most other buildings of its kind in the world.” About that,

time will judge. The violent fluctuations of the New York

climate are well known. How the birds of all climes which this

house is to shelter will stand a hot spell under that glass roof,

and how a house so large and 36 feet high, is to be kept even a

little warm during the New York blizzards is another matter.


It is intended to diffuse light by growing plants and vines.

This idea would be very pretty if it were only practicable. Who¬

ever proposed this cannot have had a very extensive experience

of live birds in confinement. Growing plants means mould for

the plants to grow in, and that mould becomes a refuge for mice

and a prolific breeding-place of these vermin. As regards vines—

perhaps creepers are meant—these must be attached to some¬

thing, therefore are not readily removable. If these vines grew

any branch coming within reach of the birds would be at once

nibbled and destroyed. But the vines are not likely to grow,

nor to live. In every bird-house the movement of the birds

raises some very fine dust which will settle on the leaves of

plants and kill them in the course of a season, whilst the

attack on the roots by the mice will kill them from below. The

only possible living plants for a bird-house are hanging baskets

and hardy evergreen bushes in pots, and both must be provided

in duplicate or in triplicate, so as to make an exchange possible

once a week or every fortnight and give the plants time to

recover elsewhere.


The house is stated to contain altogether eighty separate



