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Seasonable Preparations. 
Seasonable Preparations. 
By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S. 
In response to many requests I am penning a few 
general notes, on a topic of common interest, and am recpiested 
not to neglect the tyro herein. 
The first thing, if not already done, is a general 
" spring cleaning." Wash down the shelter with water contain- 
ing Condy's fluid, take down all unoccupied nest boxes, husks, 
etc., clean out and well swill with a 10 per cent, carbolic 
solution, leave to dry in the open air, and when dry replace. 
It is a good time to renew all perching branches and cover-^ 
everything should then be clean and sweet for the season and 
little if any disturbance necessary while the breeding season 
runs its course. 
The next step is the flight, all renewals of shrubs, etc., 
should be made good at once. Euouymus, Privet, Elder, Rose, 
Laurel, Box, and Currant are all good and safe. An abundance 
of creepers also should be jjut in, to climb anywhere and every- 
where, except the front of the aviary. A garden arch or 
two if the flight is roomy enough, may be placed in suitable 
positions for the climbers to trail over. Hops, Honeysuckle, 
Clematis (wild), Virginian Creeper, Bellbine, and Ivy are all 
excellent. 
Whenever it is possible two aviaries should be' ar- 
ranged, or at any rate summer quarters for odd birds, and 
'young when able to fend for themselves, so that only pairs 
should be in the breeding aviary proper. Personally, I have not 
found large (in reason) and small species, or "soft-bills" 
and " hardbills " to materially interfere one with the other, 
providing they were not overcrowded, and the cosmopolitan 
character of the menu provided under such conditions, also 
the spirit of competition in a mixed series, have all tended' 
towards success— thus have some of the dreams of our early 
days e.g. an aviary with growing bush for single pairs^ 
been dissipated, when actually tested and I must confess that 
now my opinion is (I am not referring to Parrots and Parra- 
keets, etc.), that a mixed community, with plenty of space, 
if not too cosmopolitan, give better results than single pairs 
in separate and more restricted quarters. The conditions are 
nearer to Nature, such as the contentions with other species 
