147



Correspondence , Notes , etc.



into the outdoor aviary ; he lives and thrives, the cage-birds of the house

are under the sod. Yet they all had the same food, but the caged Nightin¬

gales did not have what the aviary one has; fresh air all around him

(though I hate a shut window) and plenty of exercise, and who knows what

in the way of unseen spiders ? And this Nightingale is far more graceful

in the large aviary than he was in a cage, and breaks into song on moon¬

light nights in the season.


With regard to overfeeding in aviaries, surely the birds with more

exercise run less risk of obesity than do the caged birds; for it would take

one all one’s time to feed cage-birds at stated periods during the day, and

if the food is always in the cage (I foresee catastrophies if it isn’t!) why

should not a cage-bird overeat himself as much as an inhabitant of the

aviary? If there is plenty of good clean food in the aviary, placed not all

in one spot, but in various parts, there seems to me no reason either for

birds being starved.


If I see an injured bird, I put him into hospital; if I see a bird who

is a normal and dangerous ‘bully,’ I remove him. I can understand an

amateur saying ‘Oh ! but I have other things to do, I am often away from

home, I could not possibly be always watching for this or that contretemps.’

Quite so ! but if it is a case of the Zoological Gardens, there is a keeper,

whose sole duty it is to see to the welfare of the birds, and to watch for

bullies and signs of starvation, etc : and—catch mice.


Insectivorous birds are usually much more vindictive and spiteful

than grauivorous birds ; or else being quicker in their movements, they can

be more effective in their attacks; but I imagine that if the flight-aviary

system be adopted in the new Bird House at the Zoological Gardens, that

the insectivorous birds would not be kept in the same aviary with the small

finches etc.


If all are kept in separate cages, it strikes me that a great deal more

space will be required, and a great deal more labour involved, and I am

certain that the general public would weary of peeping into cage after

cage, and would depart to happier hunting-grounds and feed the bears !


The Western and Eastern Aviaries always used to give me keen

delight, because one saw the birds more as they are in a wild state.


The hyaenas and lions and things small and great boxed up in cages,

walking or hopping (the kangaroos had not at one time even room to do

that!) backwards and forwards, wearied one; but how exciting and how

far more interesting if the lions and tigers could be placed in an enclosure

corresponding to their size, as a large aviary does to a Waxbill! And hah

the excitement would be that one couldn’t always see them, and one would

wait with a thrill down the middle of one’s back, wondering from which

nesting-box—I mean cave —some lion would issue forth with a roar to seek

his meat! Oh! thrilling!!


Well! the same idea seems to me to apply to flight aviaries.


Hubert D. A.sti v ey.



