01 
Visits to Mpmherfi' Aviaries. 
place. It was very tamo and uttorod several words distinctly. 
No. 11. An isolated enclosure of the smnmor-Iiouse 
type, f^iven up to s(>ven Euf^iish Jays, all of which had been 
caught in the garden. All of them were in very smart 
plumage, but were rather ,shy and retiring, keeping mo.stly 
to the sheltered part their '.Miclosure while strangers were 
near. 
In the consei'vatory were two cages: one containing 
a very fine sp;'cimen of Horsfield's Whistling Thrush (Myio- 
phoiieiis Jiorsfii'JtJI), and the other a tame and talented Roseate 
Cockatoo. 
If, as I said in my opening I'cmarks, Mr. Croker does 
not follow orthodox methods, there is no lack of care, and 
I must spare a few lines in conclusion to explain how the 
lack of oi'thodoxy, in this instance, spells such excellent results. 
I gathered Mr. Croker's method is not really a fixed one, only 
partially so. In the early part of the day the regular menu 
is given, consisting of filling th(> hoppers with such seeds 
as Canai'y and white millet, and putting in a supply of a 
standard insectile mixture; then after lunch, another round 
is made, and seed mixtures, such as Linnet mixture. Goldfinch 
mixture, Sunflower seed, mealworms, etc., are distributed in 
the aviaries, also a sort of soft mixture from the table, e.g., 
potato, and other vegetables and various scraps, cheese, cake 
etc., are mixed with the remains of the morning supply of 
insectile mixture. I also observed that during his peregrina- 
tions round his garden, Mr. Croker is in the habit of filling 
the capacious side pockets of his gai'den coat with such 
daintich as he has learned delight the palates of his feathered 
and fun-y ])ct^, which are distributed during otliei' rounds of 
the aviaries. It is not surprising, either that the birds, etc., 
do well, or that the appearance of Mr. Croker brings his pets 
expectantly into the picture. 
{To be continued). 
