MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 



working of the well, such as the pipes getting 

 stopped up, it is so much easier to open it out if a 

 stone covers the top. 



In my own case the soil is very sandy and the 

 water drains quickly, and so a dumb well answers 

 admirably, but I do not know how it might 

 answer where the soil was clay and heavy. It is 

 very seldom on a light soil that a dumb well has 

 to be opened, so it is neither an eyesore nor fin 

 inconvenience. 



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Be sure and have your pipes leading into it large 

 enough ; mine, in this aviary I am describing, 

 were laid too small. The water from the fountains 

 does not run fast enough to flush them, and now 

 and then they get choked with sand and husks 

 from the aviary floor and have to be cleaned out. 

 I daresay if the water were turned on at its full 

 pressure the pipes would keep all right, but as we 

 use the town water, and pay for every gallon in 

 the garden that is consumed, the too liberal use of 

 it is a consideration. 



The boiler in this aviary is under one corner of 

 the floor in the larger half. It has had to be re- 

 newed once in ten years, possibly the boiler might 

 have lasted longer, but it was cracked and leaked, 

 and in consequence of this the water supply tank 

 had to be more frequently filled up, and the result 

 was a poor supply of heat. It seemed therefore 

 the cheapest economy to have a new boiler 

 altogether. The heat from it not only well warms- 

 the pipes, but heats the tiled floor directly above it, 

 and I find the delicate birds have soon found this 

 out, and in the winter time sit on this part of the 

 floor to warm themselves. 



The little stoke-hole that supplies the fire for 

 the boiler is outside at one end of the aviary, and 

 is sunk below the aviary level some three or four 

 steps, a pent roof of galvanised iron keeps the rain 

 from the outside of the grate. The fire (if stoked' 

 properly) after being mended late in the afternoon 

 should last all night and well into the next 

 morning. 



Both for this aviary, and another one I will 

 describe later, I burn a small coke (about the size- 

 of a large walnut). It is very smokeless and gives 

 a great heat, but at the same time it is expensive. 

 However, as we have neighbours' gardens on each 

 side of us it is almost a necessity to have a smoke- 

 less fuel, as on no account would I wish my birds 

 to be an annoyance to anyone. 



When I first put up this aviary I had the floor 

 sodded. It looked very pretty, and the birds loved' 

 the grass, but I soon found it unpractical, for it 

 was impossible to keep it clean and wholesome, so 

 I substituted grey tiles, and these are much more 

 sanitary. They are well sprinkled with red sand, 

 and this does not seem to harm the birds in any 

 way, though I have heard it is not good for them. 

 No doubt river sand would be better, but this would 

 considerably add to my many expenses, which 

 already are quite sufficient.. 



The hot water pipes were put in this aviary some- 

 time after it had been built. The first year I 

 heated it with an oil stove in one of the porches. 

 All went well for some time, but one night the 

 lamp went wrong, and next morning — (New Year's 

 Day, of all days in the year) — I found half my 

 birds dead on the floor. The inside of the aviary 

 was covered with black soot, and the surviving 

 birds a pitiful sight, dirty and terrified. Anyone 

 who has gone through an experience like this will 

 understand how disheartened I felt. I would 

 almost have been thankful to anyone who would 

 have taken the aviary and birds out of my sight 

 for ever. 



Many of the victims were old favourites I had 

 had for years, and it was sad work collecting the 

 little still bodies, so full of life only a few hours. 



