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R. James—Aviary Management



birds are angels, and wish to create a heaven for them in the form of

an aviary. After a series of shocks such fanciers either give up or

become serious-minded and useful students.


I contend that no man or woman should be allowed to have a

voice in the making of laws relating to bird protection or bird preserva¬

tion until that person has made a study of their peculiarities, both in

freedom and captivity. No useful purpose can be served in that

particular direction by keeping isolated birds or isolated breeding

pairs. An aviary can be a heaven for birds, or it can also be the worst

possible hell. Progress in the form of the builder has restricted the

breeding area for birds, and the congestion must make life more simple

for the natural enemies of birds. The weasel shall not live by mice

alone, also the squirrel does not eat only nuts. The Great Tit will eat

the brains out of the Yellow Bunting, the Bullfinch, and others. The

Tit will attack such birds before they are self-supporting ; the Blue Tit

is also an offender, this sweet creature will raid a nest of small birds

when they are ten days old. Not one chick is ever spared once a Tit

has dated a nest. The Owl makes a raid just before dark, four journeys

in eight or ten minutes and four fresh-killed young, feathered, Black¬

birds are in the larder. Every Cuckoo reared means that four or

five peaceful birds have been sacrificed. Consider the deleterious

habits of the Jay, Jackdaw, Shrike, and Hawk. Then we may appreciate

the importance of the question : “ To what extent can the species be

safely mixed ? ” Also we can admit an aviary can be a bird’s heaven

if we take our hobby seriously. If we consider to what extent the general

public can compromise in their attitude towards bird protection,

then we are likely to find it difficult to dissociate sentimentality

from humbug. To any reader who may consider these remarks exagger¬

ated or too trivial for publication I would like to state that any

remarks are the direct result of my own observations, and can hardly

be trivial since I have from time to time received letters from fellow-

fanciers asking questions relating to all the subjects and species

mentioned. Now to revert to the question regarding a mixed collection.

So many species may seem safe with each other until the birds come

into breeding condition. The fact that an aviary is not intended as a

breeding aviary is of no help. Each healthy bird must come into



