112



Winston S. Rowe—Notes from South Devon



The roof is rather heavy for the average house of its kind, but it

has been found that the extra thickness in the timber gives the birds

a benefit in warmth during cold weather.,


The whole house is surrounded with | in. mesh netting sunk into the

ground to a depth of 15 inches, and is taken 3 inches up the first weather

board : this prevents rats and nice from burrowing into the interior.


The outside of the house is well treated with creosote, as a preserva¬

tive against the weather, the inside being painted with an eggshell

blue shade of oil paint.


The total cost of an aviary of this size should work out at approx¬

imately £13, which may seem expensive, but if bought ready made

of the same quality would cost much more.



NOTES FROM SOUTH DEVON


By Winston S. Rowe


About a year ago (March, 1934) I purchased two pairs of imported

Long-tailed Grassfinches ; in no time three died. I then purchased

another cock and two hens, being determined to start the season with

two pairs. However, three weeks later one pair died, leaving me with

one pair, having lost two pairs and a hen. They were placed in a

bedroom facing due south, at night an electric heater was brought into

action, and the temperature never fell below 45° F. This taught me

a good lesson, i.e. (1) buy acclimatized stock in the winter, or


(2) have a proper bird-room so fitted that the temperature can be

retained at never under 60° F. until they can be gradually hardened off;


(3) the alternative is to buy imported stock in the summer.


The remaining pair of Grassfinches, however, gave me five fully

reared young ones. The nest was built in a Hartz Canary cage. A

liberal supply of meal-worms was given soon after hatching and was

kept up until the young fed themselves.


Some time in July I purchased a pair of Masked Grassfinches which

persisted in sleeping out until September and the beginning of October.

They did not seem to be as wild as the Long-tail Grassfinches.



