EIIiBS OF SONG,— Ho. XXXVII. 



THE AVIARY AND ITS OCCUPANTS. 

 No. V. 



Having given due consideration to 

 the establishment of a general Common- 

 wealth, and noticed the principal arrange- 

 ments connected therewith, we will now offer 

 a few remarks for the preparation of a winter 

 aviary for the " Warblers." 



We have before noted, that the proper time 

 for the separation of the tender from the 

 hardy birds, is in August. The seasons known 

 as the " Moulting season, " and the " Fall of 

 the leaf," are most sickly times for birds of 

 every kind — poultry not excepted. This we 

 shall have to comment on, at a future stage 

 of our inquiry. About the middle of August 

 therefore, all due regard must be paid to the 

 welfare of those birds which are more parti- 

 cularly prized. It is by no means needful 

 that the room devoted to the reception of 

 these tender birds should form a part of the 

 same building as the other. If you can have 

 them nearer your dwelling-house so much 

 the better. But this, in some instances, must 

 depend, as it originally did with us, on the 

 convenience offering for setting a stove, the 

 smoke from which must be conducted through 

 some chimney already built. 



Instead of allowing your birds free liberty, 

 as in the general commonwealth, it will be 

 advisable, —perhaps needful, to confine the 

 majority of them in a very large cage, erected 

 against the back of the room ; which latter 

 will answer admirably as the back of the said 

 cage. The two sides should be made of very 

 thick deal ; the top and bottom also of the 

 same material, and of an equally stout sub- 

 stance ; the whole being painted three times 

 in a dark- red color. The length of the cage 

 should be not less than 9 feet ; the height 6 

 feet ; and the width 3 feet 6. It should be 

 made portable, and put together by screws. 

 The perches should be of thin cane, or bam- 

 boo ; some of them bent in a semi-circular or 

 arched form; the principal perch, running from 

 end to end, being perfectly straight. This 

 last should be of square deal, a quarter of an 

 inch thick, and painted four times in stone 

 color. Immediately in the centre of the cage 

 should stand, on a wooden pillar, also painted 

 stone-color, an oblong zinc fountain (not a 

 " living " fountain), into which should be 

 poured, regularly every morning, afresh sup- 

 ply of pure spring- water. The depth of the 

 fountain should not exceed 3 inches. If a 

 plug be fitted in at the bottom of it, the foul 

 water may be readily carried off by a pipe 

 running through the wooden pillar, and 

 received into a pan beneath ; or the pipe could 

 be conducted through the floor of the room. 

 Over the fountain, forming a kind of cover, 



must be placed a semi-circular net-work of 

 galvanised wire, having circular apertures in 

 it sufficiently wide to admit the heads of the 

 birds when in the act of drinking. The ob- 

 ject of this wire-cover is, to prevent the birds 

 bathing, which they would do every morn- 

 ing, — non obstante magistro, even in the depth 

 of winter ! If such precaution were not 

 taken, the necessary consequences would 

 be — cramp, cold, numbness, inflammation in 

 the bowels, blindness, and loss of the use of 

 their limbs. 



The cage should be lined throughout with 

 the best green baize ; strained, and nailed on 

 evenly. The front must be of wire, and have 

 two doors in it, one on either side of the cen- 

 tre ; down which, from top to bottom, there 

 should be a support of wood, about 2 inches 

 wide and an inch thick. By means of these 

 doors, ready access will be given to the foun- 

 tain. 



All along the bottom of the wire-work, from 

 end to end, there must depend a long flap of 

 wood, 3J inches wide, hung on hinges, and 

 having a small brass knob in the front. By 

 raising this up, the floor of the cage can be 

 readily cleaned out, which it should be, every 

 other morning ; being afterwards replenished 

 with small, dry, pebbly gravel ; or red sand, 

 not sifted. This must be carefully looked 

 to. 



Over the top of the cage, immediately 

 along the front, must be nailed a curtain of 

 green baize This should be drawn down 

 over the birds every night ; so as to add to 

 their warmth, and secure their comfort. The 

 foopl should be fresh-made every morning, 

 and conveyed to them in saucers, or china 

 pans, as they are dearly fond of turning the 

 whole over and over, — pecking at and select- 

 ing what they consider tid-bits. 



When your birds are all collected in this 

 their new habitation, it is more than likely 

 you will find some of them quarrelsome ; 

 others sulky ; others wild and " flighty." To 

 provide against this, it will be needful to have 

 the room hung round with a number of appro- 

 priate cages ; with the fronts only of wire ; 

 the two sides and back, boarded. These cages 

 should be 16 inches long, 12 inches high, and 

 9 inches deep ; made, not of deal but maho- 

 gany, to prevent the ingress, inhabitation, and 

 domestication of vermin. A long perch, 

 running length-ways, from end to end, a glass 

 wash-bath, and two tin pans for food, will 

 complete the furniture of these dwellings. 



Into one of the cages, you must put any 

 bird who refuses to associate amicably with 

 the rest ; he will soon be reconciled, and come 

 into song. Great care should be taken, so 

 to arrange the cages as to prevent the birds 

 seeing each other. This is important. 



Our next consideration must be, the mode 

 of warming the room. This can be properly 



