Aviaries and Cages. 



2 



could be entered without the chance of any birds making 

 their escape. If it is desired to utilise this lobby, a small 

 sliding aperture can be made in the inner door, to open and 

 close with cords from the outside, so that the birds might 

 be driven from the outer lobby to the inner aviary, and the 

 communicator closed before the outer door is opened. The 

 other portion should be framed with wood and wire, or all 

 wire, similar to that used for birdcages, but made very strong. 



The bottom of the aviary should be formed of a bed of small 

 gravel and sand, about a foot in depth, and it should be 

 raked over at least once a week, and the surface renewed, 

 say, once in three months, to a depth of 4in. The excre- 

 ment and refuse ought to be removed at least once a week, in 

 order to keep the birds clean and healthy. The wall and 

 inner dwelling or shelter should be lime-washed once a year 

 at least, and the interior of the latter should be fitted 

 up with breeding-boxes and perches. In the outer aviary, 

 must be placed cocoa-nut nests ; baskets, and wooden nest- 

 boxes should be attached to the walls or ceiling at con- 

 venient distances. Water fountains and self-supplying seed 

 hoppers, and feeding-tins or troughs for German paste or soft 

 food of any kind, must also be provided. A stout earthen- 

 ware jar or two, or pickle bottles, may be used for giving a 

 supply of green food, such as lettuce or chick weed, daily to 

 such birds as partake of this food. On the outside, to a 

 height of about 18in. from the ground, a bordering of zinc 

 or galvanised sheet iron should be nailed all round to keep 

 out rats and mice, and to prevent cats getting an opportunity 

 of snatching a bird that may fly against the wires. 



A trench, 1ft. in width, and 18in. to 2ft. in depth, should 

 be formed round the building, and it should be filled in with 

 concrete, which should be formed of broken bricks, broken 

 glass, and small pebbles or flint stones, and strong liquid 

 lime. The latter, if poured over and thoroughly mixed with 

 the stones, will form a substantial concrete, and prevent rats 

 and mice from burrowing beneath it. The foregoing is an 

 excellent form of aviary, and, if properly built, and good 

 materials used, is really very ornamental. It would require 

 to be painted only once in four years. 



Another form of aviary, and one that I strongly recom- 

 mend, can be made by erecting a small structure at the back 



