40 



British Cage Birds. 



We ought to mention that where cages are used in numbers, 

 in a room specially adapted for breeding birds, a skeleton wooden 

 frame or stand made of two inch laths, is preferable to 

 shelves for placing them on ; as it affords less harbour for 

 parasites. These frames can be put together with screw nails, 

 and can be taken to pieces at pleasure, or for the purpose 

 of removal. The laths should be 2in. in breadth and 

 made of \m. deal. The length, depth, and width of the 

 frame must be regulated according to the size and number 

 of cages it is intended to accommodate. 



Appliances. — A good nest, to be placed inside a breeding 

 cage or aviary, and designed specially for the use of. wild 

 birds kept in confinement, is the box nest shown at Fig. 13 ; 



Fig. 13. Box Nest. 



for few of them care to breed in open exposed nests. The 

 bottom and sides are made of wood, and likewise the ends ; 

 but it is an improvement to have one end glazed with 

 ground glass, to give more light, or it can be fitted to 

 slide in and out of grooves. At the other end is an aperture 

 for ingress and egress; the bottom is extended forward to 

 admit of a perch being fixed to it for the convenience of the 

 birds when going to or from the nest. A large round hole 

 is made in the bottom to admit a tin nest ; the top is left 

 uncovered for ventilation. At one side, near the top, a hole 

 is made to hang it up to the back of a cage, or the wall 

 of an outdoor aviary. 



When used in cages they should be placed at one end, 



