332 
A'ly Aviary and Birds. 
Youiif at a}rr of six weeks: By this tim(> both young 
bail lengthened out and wcir nuuli the same sliape as their 
father tlic slreakinL; had practirally disappeared, bul b:)th still 
showec' a distinct tendency to yellowness on abdomen and 
chesl. I fear therefore botli are males, and rl'a' u ile-s others 
come l(. hand, it will be impossible to pL'rpetuate what is, 
in my ojiin'on, a v.ry attractive and inoffensive iiard-bill. I 
fancy thai one; or l)oth are beginning; to '' tuiro up as I have 
on several occasions heard a sony which was vaguely reminis- 
cent of the old male's love song. 
Both are now independant and take little notice of their 
father. 
0 
My Aviaries and Birds. 
By Ernest E. Bentlev. 
When I commenced aviculture I thought a wooden 
structure was the most desirable, but I have since altered 
my mind and consider a steel construction to be the best. 
The illustration is from a photograph ef one so constructed. 
To commence with, the frame-work is all made and 
set up in a fitter's shop, and may be very light as indicated 
in the photo. The main uprights arc eighteen inches longer 
and sunk into the ground to that extent, being finished off 
with a small base-plate. The plinth or dado of the aviary 
is galvanized sheet iron, which is let into the ground nine 
inches as a protection against mice. At the back of the aviary, 
at the top and bottom, is an iron channel, which runs the 
whole length (i8 ft.), just wide enough to receive one-inch 
thick tongucd and grooved boarding, the boards arc just 
slipped in along the whole of the back; it is therefore quiie 
solid and drauglit-proof . 
After due consideration I decided to try reinforced 
cement foi the shelter, so when the whole aviary was fully 
wired I got a plasterer to put a rough coat on the wire 
(the netting was tautly stretched), and when once it was set 
and tiuitc hard 1 had it hnished with a white drying cement 
and sand; this was quite a success and gives a dead- white 
appearance which makes a very pleasing contrast with the 
