THE AVIARY AND ITS OCCUPANTS. 

 No. X. 



{Concluded from Page 216.) 



If you would study comfort, it will 

 be needful to have an abundant supply of 

 those little nick-nacks, which though tri- 

 fling, are yet indispensable ; for as no work- 

 man, how clever soever he may be, can 

 move one step in the right direction with- 

 out being provided with proper tools — so, 

 no aviary can be reckoned " complete " in 

 its several appointments without all the 

 necessary paraphernalia are in readiness, 

 to be used as occasion may require them. 

 We shall therefore proceed at once to 

 particularise what these essentials are. 



In the first place — as you will daily have 

 to grate your bullocks' liver, buns, &c, and 

 as it requires a " fine " apparatus for this 

 purpose, you must get a carpenter to fur- 

 nish you with two well-seasoned deal boxes, 

 made as follows : — The length of each box 

 must be 8 inches ; width, 6 inches ; depth, 

 3£ inches. All round the tops of each should 

 be ledges, shelving upwards and outwards, so 

 as to prevent waste. In the upper part of 

 each box let a square sheet of tin be inserted 

 (any brazier will undertake this), perforated 

 with minutely-fine holes, and strongly 

 " roughed " on the outside, like an ordinary 

 domestic grater. 



In the under part of each box let a drawer 

 be fitted, to pull out, having a ring in the 

 centre. By the aid of this, you will obtain 

 easy access to whatever you may have been 

 passing through the holes above. One of 

 these boxes should be kept exclusively for 

 the bullocks' liver, and cleansed immediately 

 after use ; the other, for the buns, bread, &c. 

 This provision has reference to the " war • 

 biers " principally. The larger and more 

 hardy birds will select tangible pieces of 

 bread, bun, &c. ; which they love to place 

 under their claw, and flirt with at their 

 leisure. 



You must now provide a piece of deal, 

 12 inches square ; made on the principle of 

 what housekeepers call a chopping-board ; 

 that is, having a back to it, and a narrow 

 " wall " on each side. On this you must 

 place your hemp-seed, crushing it thoroughly 

 with a lignum-wtce rolling-pin. After every 

 operation of this kind, scrape the board 

 clean with a long knife ; and daily scald it 

 with boiling water, to remove or lessen the 

 grease which has exuded from the hemp- 

 seed. 



A pestle and mortar, of marble, is the 

 next requisite. This is serviceable for rub- 

 bing down the hard-boiled eggs and a variety 

 of other substances connected with an aviary. 

 It is an article of indispensable utility. To 

 scrape your raw beef on, and keep it free 



from taint, you will find nothing so service- 

 able, nothing so appropriate, as a circular 

 slab of marble 12 inches in diameter. This 

 will be in perpetual use as a general " table 

 for operations." In connection with it you 

 will find a " spatula," or apothecaries' knife, 

 very handy. Being flexible, it yields easily 

 to the pressure of the hand. Both these 

 articles must, of course, be kept sweet and 

 clean. 



To cleanse the floor of the aviary, by re- 

 moving the sand, &c, the most ready instru- 

 ment will be a kind of " hoe," fitted in a 

 wooden handle, 12 inches long. The width 

 of the hoe should be 5 inches, and it should 

 be slightly " inclined " outwards. A trowel, 

 also, on a somewhat similar principle, will be 

 found useful, for scraping the corners of the 

 floor. The sand should be, to use an 

 Hibernicism, rather gravel than sand. That 

 is, it should be gravel, finely sifted, so as to 

 retain a number of small pebbles. These 

 pebbles are freely eaten by, and greatly 

 assist the digestive powers of the whole 

 feathered tribe. It is not necessary to throw 

 away all the sand every time it is removed ; 

 it will come into use again, much of it, when 

 cleansed by sifting. 



For this purpose, always be provided with 

 two large strong sieves, made of wire, one 

 finer than the other. Through these, 

 severally, pass what is removed from the 

 floor of the aviary, day by day. The dry 

 sand will freely pass through the fine sieve — 

 the residue must be rejected as being quite 

 unfit for use. It will, however, do for the 

 poultry-yard. 



For the purpose of cleaning the circular 

 and square perches, there are always kept 

 ready for use (obtainable at any of the bird- 

 dealers in the neighborhood of " the Seven 

 Dials,") long and short iron rods, fitted with 

 two distinct contrivances — one at either end. 

 These are of light weight, and are made, at 

 one end, so as to admit the perches into 

 their centre. Thus, all dirt is readily re- 

 moved, and with comparatively little trouble. 

 These irons are also indispensable for the 

 perches of caged birds, as well as those in an 

 aviary. 



The last equipment that we need notice 

 is— the jars to contain your bird seed, &c. 

 These we should recommend to be of tran- 

 sparent glass, with glass covers also. The 

 tall glasses, such as are used by chemists and 

 confectioners, will be found most serviceable. 

 Whether for your German-paste, your buns, 

 your seed — or what not— these glasses are to 

 be highly commended. They are by no 

 means costly, and they preserve all that is 

 contained in them sweet and w r holesome. 



Of course, you will keep yourself well sup- 

 plied with sponges, flannels, nail-brushes, 

 and other similar articles of daily use. You 



