A Talk about 
Foreign Birds. 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
( i6 4) 
supply artificial heat till the summer sun drives 
away the cold out of the air. By that time they 
will be through the moult, and then you may 
turn them into an outdoor aviary, and as a rule 
you need trouble yourself no more about them. 
From Whom to Purchase. 
As I said before, foreign birds are now im¬ 
ported in large numbers, but the figures which 
dealers advertise are often very much exag¬ 
gerated. You may often divide the birds adver¬ 
tised by ten, and in some cases by one hundred, 
and you will then arrive at the approximate 
number they hold. I advise purchasers to deal 
with firms who have the birds actually in stock, 
.and not in their mind only, as is often the case. 
As foreign bird dealers’ terms are generally 
cash, it is wise to endeavour to know a little 
.about the reputation of the firm you intend deal¬ 
ing with, as there are men in this trade, as in 
all others, who may be classed as good, bad, 
and indifferent. Foreign birds are a very fickle 
commodity, both as regards condition and 
nomenclature. It is best, therefore, to deal 
■only with firms who have a reputation to lose. 
It would be out of place to mention any names, 
hut one dealer has taken several trips to Africa 
to secure his stock, whilst one of the firms sends 
one of its partners to Australia to catch their 
own birds and superintend them during the 
voyage. But while there are many bird shops 
of repute, there are others—what shall I call 
them?—filthy dens, to visit which makes your 
heart sick, and you leave them a sadder but a 
wiser man. No wonder some humane persons 
are trying to make the keeping of birds in cages 
illegal. Their ideas have been formed when 
passing shops such as I have referred to. Had 
they instead happened to have a look through 
a well-ordered aviary and seen the little cap¬ 
tives—content, singing, courting, and perhaps 
nesting—their views might have moderated on 
the subject. 
Of course you cannot persuade these people to 
■enter a bird show, where they would see the 
finished article in a cage suitable for its adorn¬ 
ment, or they would be convinced—ay, and 
against their will—by the bloom and steadiness 
of the exhibit, that the little inmate was healthy, 
happy, and well cared for in its adopted home. 
But to return to the purchasing of foreigners. I 
prefer, when possible, to get them from private 
aviaries acclimatised and in perfect condition, 
and although you may have to pay a-half more 
for them, they are usually cheaper in the end. 
Treatment of Newly-purchased Birds. 
Take a look at the food they have in the 
travelling cage, and let them have access to the 
-same kind in their new quarters. Birds coming 
off a journey are invariably thirsty; therefore, 
put water inside the cage, but be sure not to 
put in cold water; let it be tepid. The drinking 
of a lot of cold water renders the birds liable to 
take a chill, or it may start diarrhoea, the results 
of which often prove disastrous. When the new 
imports are, as it were, hardened off, you may 
try them in flight cages or aviaries, but you 
must keep an eye on them for a day or two to 
see that they are getting on all right. 
Aviaries and Their Construction. 
As aviaries are preferable to cages for foreign 
birds, it will not be deviating to say. a word or 
two about them. Although it is desirable, it is 
not always possible to have artistic or expensive 
erections, nor is it necessary that they should 
be. The cost must be determined by the funds 
at the disposal of the party involved. Small 
aviaries are more suitable than large for small 
birds, or, in other words, a large aviary is better 
divided into compartments than in one big 
stretch from end to end. There are various and 
obvious reasons for this. Birds of the same size 
and habits can in this manner be enclosed to¬ 
gether. The weak and defenceless can be sepa¬ 
rated from the tyrannical and strong,, any that 
develop pugnacious habits can the more easily 
be caught and removed. Young ones can be 
put in a different compartment as soon as they 
can shift for themselves, and the parents can 
be separated from each other when the breeding 
season is over, which it is often necessary to do. 
The arrangement of the aviaries is also a ques¬ 
tion of some importance. The aspect should.be 
south, but south-east to west will do. A portion 
enclosed and an open flight seems to find most 
favour, and on a fine summer day I would not 
like to enter into argument with anybody on the 
subject. This arrangement seems almost ideal, 
but here in the West of Scotland, where we have 
six months of winter and six months of, often, 
a very cold and wet summer, I have found an 
aviary built on a different principle work out 
with better results. I think an aviary enclosed 
alii round, so that it can be shut up in stormy 
weather, and the windows opened on fine days, 
is most suitable for our variable climate. 
Heat or No Heat, Which? 
Then the question of whether artificial heat 
should be supplied or not is a debatable question. 
Some aviarists are always telling us about the 
hardiness of foreign birds, how, notwithstanding 
that they come from tropical climes, they 
can endure the frost and fog which we alter¬ 
nately experience. They tell us that fresh air 
is the great invigorator and disease resister, 
that artificial heat is not only unnecessary, but 
detrimental, and they ask how many degrees of 
frost you think foreign birds can stand. I must 
confess I could not tell them, for I have never 
tried. I believe in making my birds as com¬ 
fortable as I can, and if one has valuable, birds 
■ he does not care to work too many experiments 
or take unnecessary risks. Further, a little 
heat on a cold day makes it more comfortable 
when performing the feeding and cleaning 
operations. 
