212



D. Seth-Smith—Mice in Aviaries .



be obtained. Soon you will have him on your finger and the rest

is easy.


Amongst the “ softbills ” I have kept on the food and methods

advocated and, with the exceptions previously mentioned, in perfect

condition are the following : Ornate, Superb, Tricolour, Striated,

Blue and Black, Scarlet, Maroon, and Festive Tanagers. The larger

species are represented by Livingstone’s and Donaldson’s Touracous,

Green-billed, Red-billed, and Toco Toucans, Racket-tailed Drongo,

Mynah, Blue-tailed Pitta, Shama, Blue-cheeked Barbet, and various

Bulbuls, including Green Hardwicke’s and Chinese. Starlings include

Green Glossy, Royals, and Purple-headed. A Brazilian Hangnest,

Golden Oriole, Pekin Robins, and a Corncrake (released as an unsuitable

“ cage bird ”) complete the insectivorous varieties. Nectar feeeders

include seven varieties of Sunbirds, Blue, Yellow-winged, and Black¬

headed Sugar-birds, and several Zosterops.



MICE IN AVIARIES


By D. Seth-Smith


In the June number of the Magazine Mr. Sydney Porter mentioned

an arrangement that I have found very successful in ridding aviaries

of mice. One has always known that the ordinary “ Little Nipper ”

mouse-trap is a useful invention, but it cannot be set in an aviary

without careful protection or it will catch the birds. It can be set

in an empty bird-cage or under a box and may do a certain amount

of execution ; but it occurred to me that the design of a box in which

to set these traps would prove the secret of their success. These little

traps as sold have a sharp spike on which one is supposed to place

the bait, and one has found that the mice soon fight shy of a baited

trap, and will not go near to it. It seemed necessary, therefore, to

.set the traps in such a way that the mouse would not realize that

a trap was there at all.


If you provide a dark box with a small opening, and place this on

the floor of the aviary, you will find that mice cannot resist exploring



