Miscellaneous n.v/'i.-riciiccs of Outdoor Aviculture . 87 
Miscellaneous Experiences of Outdoor 
Aviculture. 
Bv Wksley T. Page, F.Z.S., etc. 
Tlic- follduiny ramhlinj;' lujtes were written many years ago, hut have not 
appeared in lliuu .\oti;s, and, as tliere is an enquiry for some notes on 
the more freely imported species I anr inserting- this paper, ahiiost as 
originally written, simply deleting such items as later experience has 
proved erroneous, and adding one or two short sentence.^ to hring other 
parts into line with latest data. The dates given herein, unless other- 
wise specified, all refer to the year 1901. 
A dream of my early days used to be a series of aviaries, each one to 
contain a single breeding pair, but this experience has proved to be a 
fallacy, and the best results, v\'ith me, have been in the general mixed 
aviary (not overcrowded), where a certain amount of contention goes on 
for nesting' sites, special foods, etc., which comes nearer to their wild 
life than does absolute peace and plenty and isolation in separate aviaries. 
It must be clearly understood, however, that I am not advocating the in- 
clusion of such pairs as would cause the weak and inoffensive to go about 
in fear of their lives and uitiniately to succumb to continuous harrying. 
" Can much be done with only one aviary" ? is a question 
frequently asked. I answer most decidedly "Yes." But in the first 
place the aviculturist nuist decide as to the course he intends to 
pursue. If breedini.,'' is to be his paramount aim, then he must 
content himself with small numbers and variety; say six or at 
niost seven pairs of birds, in an aviary of say 20ft. long, 3 to 4 
ft. wide, and 6 to 8ft. high. But even thus, the youny must be 
disposed of as they assume adult plumage — or a second aviary 
of equal size, kept merely as a flight, erected for their accommo- 
dation — otherwise they will upset their parents' breeding 
arrangenients, in fact almost nullify them. 
On the other hand, if the aviculturist decides on number 
and variety; then he can have in the same space 50 or 60 birds. 
But while he will gather a lot of useful general information, 
his breeding experiences will be few and far between, though 
under such conditions, during the early years of my avicultural 
experience, I successfully reared numbers of Zebra and Ribbon 
Finches, Java Sparrows, Cockateels. and similar common stuff, 
with interest and pleasure, if not profit; but that is a minor 
matter with the earnest aviculturist; he is athirst for knowledge 
and counts not the cost of anything within his means. 
