,1 Holiday in the M'cs/ Indies. 
189 
tlie biii'k of the Bre;ul-frnit tree, and run the sap into the watei', 
then make a fire in the woods and boil the sap till it becomes 
a glutinous substance, which they smear it upon sticks, in the 
same manner as we use bird-lime, and to remove the sticky 
substance from the feathers, they rub with a little of the ash from 
the fire, but they generally prefer to pull out the wings and tail, 
in fact I once had one brought to me half plucked. 
One of the curios of the Island is the Land Crab. (Gecar- 
cinits riiriro/(t) they have a peculiar face like marking on the 
back, and live in holes along tlie road sides like Rabbit lioles. 
They are very difficult to approach, as they have a very keen 
sight, or sense of hearing. When the spawning season commences, 
they all flock to the sea shore to deposit their eggs, and it is at 
this season of the year that huge (juantities are caught for human 
food. There is one great peculiai'ity about these crabs, that is, that 
when on the march to the shore, they never go round an obstacle, 
but always over it, and in a straight line : not even buildings 
deter them, and they are wonderful climbers. After depositing 
their eggs in the sand, they leave them to hatch in the tropical sun, 
and return to the upper country, to shed their shells. 
[To be continued.] 
The Aviaries and Birds at Soham House, 
Newmarket. 
By Lady P^dith Douglas Pennant. 
In the spring of IWVJ, I made two aviaries here, the first 
being a wire netting enclosure (lit. (iiii. high and 3()ft. long by 
18ft. wide, with privet, laurel, cypress, etc., planted in groups. 
The other is a substantial brick building with wire run and con- 
crete floor, built more or less aftei' 1 lie patteiMi of the Western 
Aviary at the Zoo, with hot water i)ii)es run round the inner part, 
and a few bay trees etc. planted in tubs and pots (see plan). 
In the outside aviary I had a i^air of Virginian Cardinals, 1 
pair Green Cardinals, 1 pair Pekin Robins, 1 paii' P>ullfinches. and 
a pair of Zebra Finches, besides an Albino Blackbird, a Pine (xros- 
beak, and a Hliamai None of these nestetl except the Zebras who 
reared two families (12 in all) in a very short space of time in 
one nest, all apparently very happy together. As tliey looked like 
becoming too numerous they were all sent off to the Zoo. 
