H 



MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 



before. But to sit down and do nothing but cry 

 would only have made matters worse, so although 

 it was Sunday I set to and cleaned the aviary 

 down, and I am sure felt better for it, for in all 

 troubles work of some kind is a splendid helper, 

 even though it may be done with faltering steps 

 and eyes that can hard)}' see for tears. 



The lamp was banished, though I expect the 

 accident was due to my own mismanagement, still 

 I wanted to be on the safe side, and for the 

 remainder of that winter and the next I had no 

 artificial heat. But these winters were mild, and 

 I could not expect this every year, so in the autumn 

 of 1899 I had a boiler and pipes put in. 



I feared at first that the birds might sit on the 

 pipes and weaken their legs, so I had some wire 

 guards made to fit over them, but I removed the 

 guards, for I found it very difficult to keep them 

 clean, and, further, if a tiny bird got underneath 

 them (and it was impossible to make them fit 

 quite closely at the bends) it would probably graze 

 its forehead in its frightened attempt to get out 

 again. 



I have an arrangement for seed pots in this 

 aviary that is rather handy. A long shelf of wood 

 is fixed, with iron brackets, to the aviary wall, 

 about a foot from the ground. In this shelf, at 

 intervals, are cut large circular holes, and the food 

 pots rest in these holes, and are so on a level with 

 the shelf. Of course, the pots must not be straight 

 all the way up or they would fall through. The 

 hole must be cut a little smaller than the circumfer- 

 ence of the rim of the pot. Soup plates at 2id. 

 each in plain white look nice, or the ordinary red 

 flower-pot saucers would do. My own pots were 

 made purposely and are much like a soup plate, 

 but deeper, and with a flanged edge inside to keep 

 the seed from being wasted. 



There are just two other points to notice about 

 this aviary before I pass on to the ne.xt. One is 

 the advisability of having the floor to slope a little 

 at one corner, and a very small mesh wire grating 

 inserted in the aviary wall, so that when the floor 

 is well swilled out now and then, the water has a 

 means of escaping. The other point is the useful- 

 ness of let-out cages in the aviary walls. It is 

 true it makes the shape of the exterior somewhat 

 irregular, but it is of very great value to have one 

 or two good cages getting the heat, and yet not 

 taking up any of the floor-room. When first I 

 put up this aviary it had no let-out cages, but a 

 large cage used to hang inside (against the brick 

 wall at the back) in the larger half. It was a 

 cage after the bo.x pattern, that is wired only in 

 front, the other three sides being of wood, and 

 though very handy yet it seemed to take up much 

 space that could ill be spared. Then the thought 



struck me, why not cut a piece out of the aviarjr 

 end and insert this cage, so that though it will, 

 not be in the way (the cage projecting outside the 

 aviary) yet it will still seem to be part of the build- 

 ing and will get the warmth. 



I found the plan answer so well that besides, 

 this cage I had two others let out in the aviary 

 ends, so now I have three very large cages in this, 

 aviary, besides the aviary itself. They are a 

 portion of it, but in no sense in the way, or taking 

 up floor room ; each cage can be divided at will 

 into two, so that I really can make six altogether. 

 I find them -so useful, and they are always more or- 

 less occupied, either for breeding purposes, or 

 supposing you find two birds have fought, it is so- 

 easy just to separate them by putting one or other 

 into a cage close at hand. 



Again, I had a pair of Barraband parrakeets. 

 loose in the larger half of the aviary, and the hen 

 turned fierce and murdered a little hen picui dove,, 

 so feeling it was unsafe to have her at large I put 

 her into one of these large cages, and a perch 

 being arranged to come right up to its wire front, 

 the cock (who was devotedly attached to his mate)' 

 could come and sit close by her cage and talk to 

 her through the wires. He passed nearly all his 

 time in this way, and thus the poor bird, whom of 

 necessity we had to imprison, had a happier time- 

 than she would have had if I had had no let-out 

 cage to put her in, for it was very large and she 

 really had a fair amount of liberty without being 

 able to do any hurt to the other birds. 



A little sliding door in the division between the 

 two halves of the aviarv is very useful in passing 

 birds from one part to the other, as it saves the- 

 trouble of carrying a caught bird round through- 

 the doors. 



From this brief description I think you will be 

 able to picture a little what this aviary is like. 

 It cost a good deal to buikl, and here let me give 

 a word of advice to would-be builders of aviaries. 

 In the first place make up your mind at the very 

 first what you really want, plan out carefully and 

 clearly in your mind (and also on paper) every 

 detail and measurement of your proposed structure. 

 I failed to do this properly, though it is true I 

 planned my aviary out roughly, but I kept think- 

 ing of fresh improvements during the building, 

 when I ought to have settled everything before- 

 hand, and this adding on, and adding on, of 

 alterations is very disastrous to one's pocket, 

 though perhaps they may be put down as costing 

 little or nothing at the time. 



So I would say, think out every detail, explain 

 all to your builder, get an estimate from him and 

 then you know where you are, and have some idea 

 of what it will all cost you. And having got your 



