KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



91 



to give them no opportunity for the exercise 

 of their ingenuity in this matter. 



Keep the windows constantly open, and 

 admit a free current of air ; closing them in 

 winter only, at night. The room will always 

 be sufficiently warm. If, however, there be 

 any fog or continuous rainy or damp weather, 

 then, of course, the windows should not be 

 opened. 



You will find that the birds will soon get into 

 a habit of perching on, or rather clinging to, 

 the ledges of the windows. To obviate this, 

 which is very objectionable, seeing how the 

 windows become thereby soiled, have some 

 narrow (say one and a half inch) slips of deal, 

 planed down, just the width of the window. 

 Let these be " bevelled" off on one side, and 

 carefully adapted to the bottom of every pane 

 of glass in the room, in a slanting position. 

 By using this precaution, the birds will slide 

 off, and they will soon find you are "just one 

 too many for them." 



It will take your birds some little time to 

 get into each other's ways ; but this they will 

 do, eventually. Many will be the quarrels, 

 disagreements, animosities, and battles ; but 

 these time will terminate. War will gradually 

 cease, and peace ultimately become pro- 

 claimed. 



If any of your birds die, as fresh caught 

 birds often do, replace them at the earliest 

 moment. Never turn in many at once ; let 

 one or two in, mysteriously, early in the 

 morning. This will prevent any unusual 

 fluttering, and the " wonder" at seeing a few 

 new faces will gradually subside. 



Whenever you purchase a quantity of 

 " flight" birds (already described), for stock, 

 always place them, for a day or two, in a large 

 cage, by themselves. It would be desirable 

 to have two or three for this purpose. These 

 birds are so excessively wild and impatient 

 of confinement, that, if turned into the aviary 

 immediately after being caught, they would 

 not only dash frantically against the windows, 

 thereby severely injuring their nervous system, 

 but they would spread fearful consternation 

 and bewilderment amongst the inhabitants. 

 In such a case, the restoration of order would 

 be difficult, and a work of much time. 



The soft-billed birds, when first purchased, 

 must be kept quietly, in separate cages, for 

 a fortnight at least after being " fed off." 

 They may then be turned into the aviary, 

 one at a time. Being insectivorous, food 

 must be given them which assimilates as 

 closely as possible with their natural diet — 

 spiders, small red garden worms, meal-worms, 

 earwigs, &c. These should be supplied only 

 occasionally, just to keep the birds healthy ; 

 they will, meantime, " take " to the general 

 food, of which we are soon to speak more 

 fully. 



When the glorious sun streams into the 



aviary, and gilds the variegated colors of 

 these little feathered beauties — their antics, 

 frolics, and devotion to fun, can be but 

 faintly imagined. The fountain, with its 

 rippling stream ; the mirrors, with their truth- 

 ful reflection and multiplying powers ; the 

 harmonious concert of well-tuned voices — 

 cause the inhabitants as much harmless plea- 

 sure as was ever known by our first innocent 

 parents in Paradise. 



Hard must be the heart of that man, or that 

 woman, who could witness such scenes of 

 happiness as these, without participating in 

 the general enjoyment. For our own part, 

 we care not to " fraternise " with such people. 



The " flight " birds, when first purchased, 

 should be classified — linnets together, in one 

 very large cage ; goldfinches in another of 

 the same size ; and so on, with any others. 

 The reason for placing them in large cages 

 is, to prevent their soiling each other's plu- 

 mage, while dashing about in their new 

 prison. Every prisoner, when first confined, 

 is so truly " unhappy in his mind," that it is 

 in vain to attempt to soothe him. Grief, 

 however, having exhausted itself, and Nature 

 having at length induced an appetite for food, 

 he becomes by degrees more reasonable, and 

 finds discretion to be by far " the better part 

 of valor." 



The "flight" birds, when fresh caught, 

 must have a mixture thrown into the bottom 

 of their cages of Canary, Flax, Rape, and 

 bruised Hemp -seed — the floor being covered 

 with dry, red gravelly sand. Their cages, for a 

 few days, should be kept partially darkened ; 

 and during this time the birds should be as 

 little disturbed as possible. 



It is always desirable to keep newly-caught 

 birds very scantily supplied with food, giving 

 it them only at stated intervals. They then 

 get accustomed to look for it. They must 

 however have plenty of clean water at all 

 times. By this mode of treatment, they will 

 become reconciled to their fate. They should 

 then be introduced into the commonwealth, 

 one or two at a time ; early in the morning, 

 and when the others are feeding. In Number 

 VIII. ofthe present series of Papers, we recom- 

 mended the introduciion of only one pair of 

 birds — wagtails. We now bethink us of an 

 almost unpardonable oversight in this matter 

 — we mean with respect to not having recom- 

 mended the addition of a pair of Java 

 sparrows. They are so quiet, so innocent in 

 their nature ; so totally different and retired 

 in their habits from all other birds, and so 

 hardy withal — that we again repeat, by all 

 means try a pair of them. They are grani- 

 vorous, but will eat freely of the universal 

 mixture. We had a pair of Java sparrows 

 in the aviary four years. Their symmetrical 

 proportions were exquisitely beautiful. At 

 the end of the fourth year the hen died ; the 



