112 k'isits to Members' Aviaries. ^ 
uiy shoulder, but never lost them; I was, however, afraid to 
have them out — cats abounded, and 1 feared if these pests did 
not make a surprise capture they might scare them into flying 
away out of sight. 
1 had them three years or more; when I first received 
them 1 kept them in an indoor enclosure, then a few months 
later transferred them to the general aviary, which contained the 
Varied Lorikeets, and a collection of small passerine birds. 
Here they did not make mischief, but about a year later 1 caught 
one of them mauling a common quail; and I looked about for 
other quarters for them. Between my birdroom and aviary 
was a narrow space with a frontage of 30 inches, and a depth of 
9 feet by 6 feet high. 1 netted this in, making them a sort of 
bo.\ shelter with a floor space of only 20 inches by 30 inches. 
Here they spent a happy two and a half years ; one of the winters 
there was a spell of really arctic weather lasting nearly a month 
without a break — company's water mains were frozen! — yet 
these birds took no harm, and appeared to revel in it; they 
certainly never looked the least ailing or depressed the whole 
period ! , 
They played and rolled about together like young puppies 
and gambolled together like monkeys — it was rare fun to sit and 
watch them. They also burrowed into the ground like rabbits, 
on one occasion burrowing their way into the parrakeet aviary. 
Aly readers will understand the regret with which 1 parted 
with them, but there was no alternative — a certain group of birds 
had to go, as 1 knew it would take me a year to reinstate the 
aviaries at my new place — the birds I kept were kindly housed 
for me by a fellow member, Air. A. Sutcliffe. 
Their main dietary was milksop, but they ate a little seed, 
also as much fruit as I cared to give, and greenfood — they were 
very fond of flowering and seeding grass, especially the tall 
growing varieties. , 
Black Lories {Chalcupsittaciis atcr) : Black they are by 
name and also colour, yet sombre no. 1 have yet to see a 
sombre coloured Lory. 
Mrs. Burgess' pair were very fine, tame also; but I fear 
they will not breed in the space she can give them, yet this is not 
hopeless. 
