a 
MY FOREIGN DOVES AND PIGEONS. 
before. But to sit down and do nothing but ery 
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 hardly 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 J had no 
artificial heat. But these winters were mild, and 
I could not expect this every year, so in the autumn 
of 18g9 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 sced pots in this 
aviary that is rather handy. \ 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 23d. 
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 next. 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 box 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 aviary 
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. Them 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, J had «a pair of Barraband parrakeess 
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 tallx 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 aviary 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 2 good deal to build, and here let me vive 
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 IT would say, think out every detail, explain 
all to your builder, get an estimate from him and 
then you know where vou are, and have some idea 
of what it will all cost you. And having got your 
