146



Correspondence , Notes, etc.



bullies, but 011 the other baud there is no doubt far more pleasure giveu

both to the birds and the people who watch them, in allowing them a flight

aviary large enough for them to show themselves off in a manner which a

smaller cage in some ways would hinder them from doing.


Naturally the flight aviary must not be overcrowded, and some

distinct line should be drawn with respect to numbers and species ; and

only strong healthy birds should be introduced: but there is a great

fascination in an aviary which is sufficiently large to conceal many of its

inhabitants, and to then be able to stand and watch different individuals

and species make their appearance from shelters and nesting-boxes, to feed

or to bathe.


I11 my own collection of birds, I find the general run of visitors will

often look at some single bird in a cage for one minute, but wish to pass an

hour in front of the aviaries, wondering what will next put iu an appear¬

ance. Some particular note or song is heard, proceeding from a hidden

bird, and they wonder who the singer is, and when he will show himself.

Or a pert Australian Parson-finch pops his head out of a nesting-box, and

flies off to drag back a wliisp of hay six times his own length, which he

proceeds to pull into his house at the front door ‘ hand over hand,’as it

were. And on a fine day, what a fascination there is to watch the birds

bathing. Some tiny Waxbill leads the way, and steps into the shallow pool

of running water, and immediately that miniature ‘splash-splash’ attracts

the others, and down they all come one after another, until there are per¬

haps twenty preening and dipping, like a merry party of bathers at Dieppe.

Diamond Finches, Parson Finches, Long-tailed and Cherry Finches, Gould-

ians and St. Helena and Orange-breasted Waxbills, and perhaps Pin-tailed

Nonpareils and Indigo-birds, and Yellow Singing Finches. Such a fine

medley of colour, and a sight which one cannot see in a mere cage.


Very rare birds should no doubt be kept separately, but even then not

in such miserable little ‘Crystal Palace Cage-Bird Show’ cages such as for

many years have been iu the Parrot House of the Zoological Gardens.


A pair of Australian Painted Finches, JEgintha picta, would, so

long as they are rarely imported, be too precious to trust in mixed company

where there might be Hooligans, but could they not be provided with a

really large cage, with a portion of it sufficiently private for them to be

encouraged to breed ?


Certain birds one looks upon as cage-birds perhaps, especially if they

are only single males, such as a Sliama, when perhaps one cannot procure a

wife for him ; but there is not much doubt that most birds are to be seen at

a far greater advantage in a large space than in a small cage, where they

can only hop up and down, and backwards and forwards.


Neither does cage - life always suit them best. I have been un¬

fortunate with caged Nightingales. Three years running I have lost my

only caged male birds in January or February: but two years ago in

December, seeing another bird was ailing and growiug thin, I turned him



