22 



British Cage Birds. 



of the dwelling-house, when the house is so constructed as 

 to admit of this being done, and it can be entered from 

 the dining-room or library, as the case may be. One I 

 saw, in the vicinity of London, was built in a recess where 

 the kitchen was erected, at the side of the house, forming a 

 wing in the rear of the dining-room ; and the entrance to it 

 was from the library (a room adjoining the dining-room), at 

 the side, near the window, and was made by a semi-glass door. 

 The structure was about 12ft. by 10ft. ; the back part of it 

 was used as an aviary, and the front part as a conservatory ; 

 the front end, and part of the top, was glass, framed in 

 wood, like a greenhouse ; the back part of the roof, forming 

 the aviary, was slated and ceiled. It had also a door, and a 

 few steps, leading on to a gravelled walk at the side of the 

 lawn, and could, therefore, be entered from without as well as 

 from within. It was most artistically arranged with small 

 rockeries and ferns, and an aquarium round the outside of the 

 aviary ; and also had several cork covered boxes, filled with 

 ornamental flowering and foliage plants, placed here and there 

 on the floor; round the windows were shelves, on which were 

 placed geraniums, fuchsias, and a variety of other plants. There 

 were also several creeping plants hung from the roof in fancy 

 wire baskets, formed to hold flower-pots ; these assisted in 

 keeping the scorching rays of the sun from the birds during 

 the hottest season of the year. The general effect was very 

 good, and it greatly improved the appearance of the house. 



An aviary on a small scale can easily be formed by 

 closing in a space of 3ft. outside a dining-room window, to 

 be formed of wood and glass, similar to a fernery, and it 

 could be so constructed as to be used for this purpose ulti- 

 mately, if desired ; the floor, which should be formed of 

 wood, should be supported by stout iron brackets, made for 

 the purpose, and fixed to the wall of the house, and the top 

 and sides fastened in the same way with wrought iron 

 straps. It should be made in sashes, and to open on hinges 

 outwardly ; the top should be covered with ground glass, to 

 prevent it getting too hot in summer time. Inside, it should 

 be arranged with fixed wirework, like the front of a breed- 

 ing cage for Canaries. It should be made so that it can 

 readily be cleaned out from the inside of the room, and the 

 best way is to form a front, on the same principle as a bird- 



