372 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



In each of the four corners of the room, 

 about twelve inches from the windows, a 

 square upright pole, nine feet long and 1| 

 inch thick, should be let into the floor, and 

 carefully secured by nailing the feet to the 

 ground. To steady these, at their summit, 

 round perches of sufficient lengths, and of a 

 quarter of an inch in thickness, should be 

 nailed, — one upon the top of each. This 

 will form a kind of rail all round the 

 room ; leaving the centre open, so as not to 

 interfere with the grand fountain, which will 

 be in the middle. On these lofty perches the 

 birds will, for the most part, roost. Indeed, 

 in the winter, they will always use them for 

 roosting on. The cause is evident. Being 

 immediately below the ceiling, and not ex- 

 posed to draught, they Avill sit warmly, cosily, 

 snugly — defying the most severe frosts. 



Through the four square upright poles, 

 round perches, four inches long, and of half 

 an inch calibre, should be inserted, at a dis- 

 tance of five inches apart, every alternate 

 perch being let in transversely. This ar- 

 rangement will prevent the plumage of the 

 birds being unnecessarily dirtied, by those 

 which are sitting the one immediately over 

 the other — as they will do in the day-time, 

 when they are singing. Another rail of 

 round perches, a quarter of an inch thick, 

 should run all round the windows ; they 

 should be about five inches from, and imme- 

 diately level with, the bottom of the lower 

 panes. The birds, by this plan, will be rea- 

 dily and constantly seen from the dwelling- 

 house, and the variety of their colors will be 

 shown to a great advantage. The beauty of 

 the latter will be materially enhanced by 

 reflection and refraction in the looking- 

 glasses, of which we shall presently speak. 



At the back of the aviary — five inches dis- 

 tant from the wall, a long round perch, half 

 an inch thick, must run from end to end. 

 All the perches must be painted over four 

 times at least, in the best green color, and be 

 thoroughly dry before they are fit for use. 

 Round the ceiling there should be a neat 

 moulded cornice ; and a narrow skirting- 

 board, painted stone color, all round the bot- 

 tom of the room. 



The door of entrance, which should be of 

 glass, must be at one end of the aviary, and 

 must open outwards; over it the double win- 

 dow before spoken of, also opening out- 

 wards. Just within the glass door, should 

 be constructed a three-sided mahogany frame- 

 work or partition, fourteen inches deep, 

 having a painted shelving top — of wood. The 

 front should form a door opening inwards. 

 This partition should be faced with closely- 

 meshed galvanised iron wire, and the door 

 of it never opened until after the outer door 

 has been closed, and vice versa. By adopting 

 this precaution none of the inmates can escape. 



The next thing to be considered is the 

 fountain. This should be of zinc; and its 

 circumference about eighteen inches, with a 

 turnover lip, and sides gradually shelving 

 downwards to the depth of about four inches. 

 The position of the fountain should be im- 

 mediately in the centre of the room. To 

 carry off the superfluous water, a waste 

 pipe should pass through the wooden sup- 

 port of the fountain and under the floor. A 

 second pipe, similarly introduced, would 

 carry off the foul water every morning, by 

 the withdrawal of the plug attached to the 

 bottom of the basin. 



The same aperture that conveys away the 

 waste-pipe, will also admit the pipe which is 

 to supply the water; which last must be 

 forced up by high pressure, and regulated in 

 its ascent by a moveable jet. To accomplish 

 this, a large zinc cistern must be fixed imme- 

 diately over the aviary, on the outside ; and 

 it must be kept constantly filled with spring 

 water.* 



To prevent the possibility of any of the 

 birds being accidentally drowned, and to af- 

 ford them no facilities for acts of " self-de- 

 struction," pieces of coral, stone, or crystal 

 rock, should be introduced into the water. 

 On these they will stand in security ; and, 

 placing themselves immediately under the 

 descending shower, they will lave them- 

 selves in the limpid stream, at least twice 

 every day — retiring from " the bath' 1 in a 

 perfect ecstacy of delight. 



The birds having performed theirablutions, 

 which they do in the most perfect order, 

 will now necessarily require to make their 

 toilet. And here let us tell our reader, if he 

 has never yet witnessed this sight, he has a 

 rare treat to come. The " ceremony" ob- 

 served on such occasions is worthy of roy- 

 alty itself. 



In furnishing them " Aids for Reflection," 

 we should recommend three looking-glasses, 

 each three feet long by four inches wide. 

 These should be mounted in narrow frames 

 of flat oak, and nailed to the back of the 

 aviary — just above or nearly level with the 

 long perches. They should be twelve inches 

 apart. The introduction of these glasses 

 will afford a never-ending source of amuse- 

 ment to all parties concerned ; and they will 

 insure "respectability of appearance" at 

 least, among all the inhabitants. 



The "hoppers" or food troughs, for the 

 seed birds, are made of mahogany, on the 

 principle of a rack ; having a moveable slide 

 of transparent glass in front, and a cover or 

 lid with hinges, lifting up at the top, to re- 

 ceive the seed. All along the front of these 



* Any practical plumber would understand 

 this matter ; and would fix the whole, at a small 

 cost. 



