Correspondence, Notes, etc.



149



temper and varying strength is objectionable, and by no means conducive

to success in breeding; the number of species which will breed together

certainly depends largely upon the size of the enclosure, and the choice of

associates ; as well as upon the amount of natural cover, the opportunities

offered for the different species to avoid one another, and to evade close

observation by their owner. The difficulty of seeing one’s birds at all

times in a natural tangle of tree, scrub, and creeper, may indeed be a draw

back to the pleasure of keeping birds, but undoubtedly it is profitable.


However clean one may keep an indoor aviary, and however free

from smell it may be, with water always changing and therefore constantly

pure, the lack of the invigorating air of the open is certainly a serious dis¬

advantage ; and only by treating one’s birds like hothouse plants can one

command success indoors.


A birdroom heated by a central German stove does command success

inbreeding, as we know from the results obtained by the late Dr. Russ and

many others, but it is doubtful whether the young so produced would ever

attain to anything like the vigour of those bred in open aviaries in this

country; for, years ago, I proved that the domesticated Canary, when

regularly bred out of doors, was infinitely more vigorous than the offspring

produced in heated rooms ; the latter, if turned out, even in a moderately

cool aviary under cover, were extremely liable to pulmonary complaints,

and rarely, if ever, lived to a respectable age.


For breeding-purposes, therefore, I am convinced that nothing can

compete with the wild garden aviary, even though the latter contain a

dozen or more pairs of birds f but of course care must be taken in selecting

the associates. As for cages, they are excellent, if sufficiently large, for

showing off the beauty of single birds, or pairs, of the more aggressive

species. When I discovered their practical uselessness for breeding

purposes, I appropriated my cages to the accommodation of the larger

insectivorous birds, from Tanagers to Jays ; thus providing a charming

exhibition series for visitors, but necessitating the daily preparation of fresh

ood throughout the year (a task occupying over an hour) and entirely

putting a stop to all chance of absenting myself from home for more than a

few hours even in the holiday season.


As Mr. Wiener rightly says, the small picturesque aviary with rockery,

lakes, and streams, soft plants, and graceful foliage is a failure : to some

extent I tried it myself, and when I was convinced of the error of my waj r s

and dismantled it, breaking up rockwork and filling up my waterway, it

kept three of us busy a whole day perpetually slaughtering mice as we

proceeded. That is now perhaps twelve or fifteen years ago, but even to

the present day we have not quite got rid of the vermin, and with traps always

set outside all my indoor enclosures, we generally have to set aside one day

in autumn for a raid on these prolific pests (I think our single day’s bag

this year numbered about three dozen, and we caught the little wretches



