THE BIRD WORLD. 
Little Bird 
Friends. 
(28) 
Little Bird Friends. 
A HISTORY RELATED BY MISS H. B. RUTT FOR YOUNG BIRD LOVERS. 
CHAPTER I. 
CHATEAU CHEZ-LES-OISEAUX. 
What is Chateau Chez-les-Oiseaux? Well, 
it is the name of the home where some of rhy 
little bird friends live, and I thoug-ht it would 
be nice for you to know what this is like before 
I tell you about the birds themselves. I know 
from experience that by far the greater number 
of birds prefer a large cage, even if shared by 
others, to a small one all to themselves. Some¬ 
times the other people in the cage are not as 
pleasant as they might be—one cannot always 
get the best roosting-place, nor the pick of any 
special dainties; but still, from a bird’s point of 
view, it is simply splendid to be able to stretch 
one’s wings and get a good dashing flight 
from one end to the other, instead of only being 
able to jump up—down, up—down, which is all 
that can be done in a small cage. I used to 
have canaries for my bird friends, then British 
birds, but now I have little foreigners, and in 
many ways I find them the most interesting. 
Their language is just as easily learnt. Oh, 
yes! I understand their language. You can¬ 
not really have a very intimate friendship with 
anyone unless you understand their language, 
and I and my birds are very great friends in¬ 
deed. I had only six birds before I bought my 
large cage, and when I had ordered it I told 
them about it, and how nice it would be. I 
don’t think they quite understood me; I must 
confess they did not seem quite to grasp the 
idea. But when the day came that they were 
moved into their new home, there Was no doubt 
as to their feelings. They were full of joy and 
gratitude. 
I had the cage made on purpose for me at 
Boulogne, because in France they know how to 
make the best cages at a very moderate price. 
How pleased I was when at last the railway- 
van drew up at our house, and the men brought 
in a huge cage ! It was packed in a crate, the 
same way as they pack a bicycle to prevent it 
being crushed, with a kind of wooden scaffold¬ 
ing all over it. It looked enormous as it stood 
in the hall. We were only women in the house, 
and it had to be taken up to the top floor. 
However, it was not so heavy as it looked, and 
we got it up very cleverly, as we thought, even 
lifting it over the banisters. But the door of 
the room was round a corner and we could not 
get it through. When we were quite exhausted 
we g-ave it up, left it in the passage and said : 
“We will get some men in the morning; they 
will be able to do it.” So in the morning two 
strong men arrived. They struggled with the 
cage in all possible ways, and tried to overcome 
its obstinacy, but it would not go into the room. 
The Song Thrush. 
Sketched by L. M. Medland from the 
acknowledged champion specimen at pre¬ 
sent being exhibited on the show-bench 
by Mr. R. J. Howe. 
