The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-10-06
THE AtIARX:
sugsestions ON tho Selections of Birds.

THE AiIARY:
suggestions ON tho Selections of Birds.
Harper's Bazaar:
The sight Of well-stocked aviary to
those who have none Of their own is we'll
calculated to cause feeling Of envy in the
breast Of every lover OF birds, and very
strong wish that it were possible for them to
possess such source of pleasure. And
yet there is hardly q house 90 constructed
but that an aviary can be built in it at
trlhing expense, and with but little outlay
in the matter of space.
A window with a moderately deep ledge
around which cage can be made is the
place, and the expense of space is hardly
more than two or three feet, measuring
from the side of the wall. At any wire-
workers can be found or ordered, the wire
| net work, which can be put in place in
short time, and the aviary ia an accom-
plished fact.
But it is rather out Of the province Of
the bird-fancier to suggest as to the car
penter's or wire-worker's trade, and he will
content himself with the statement that an
aviary five feet high, four feet wide and
two and half feet deep. has been built in
one apartment-house, in New York city at
cost not exceeding SIS, including cups
and trays.
To make such selection of birds as
shall thrive we'll together, live without dis
cord and not require such variety Of food
| as ls necessary for one and injurious to
| others is far more difficult than to build
the aviary, however deficient IN space the
house may be.
| In making the selection the question of
fool for the different birds should first be
taken into consideration for hard billed
birds, 1t they get the opportunity, will eat
food prepared for soft bills, thereby work.
ing themselves much injury.
Although it is done in some aviaries, it
| is ill advised to put together the two class
| es OF birds known as hard and soft bills,
since the food for each class is 90 widely
| different. It is better to have a smaller
assortment of birds, if it is not possible to
have two aviaries, rather than run the risk
of allowing some Of the inmates to kill
themselves with that which is necessary
to sustain life in others.
Hard billed birds are generally known
as those whose bills are especially adapted
for the cracking Of food, such as the
numerous family of fnches. linnets,
siskins, canaries, Java sparrows, bobolinks,
0OAt@ASAAo- ~ 1OAN0 I'D VAO patAutGU
finch -bluebirds, redbirds, aud grosbeaks,
| thrushes, latks. warb1ers,' and starlings
may be classed under the head Of soft
billed birds.
To keep these two classes Of birds to-
gether, where the food for each Is necessari-
ly within reach Of all, is an attempt in
which very few are successful, and when it
is possible by careful watching to keep oil
in state nearly approaching perfect health,
injury is done to their song, If in no other
way. 1t is both the safest and pleasantest
course to keep the classes separate. Some
very beautiful collections may be made Of
either; there is really no necessity of max
ing them inmates of the same home.
A very pretty collection on small scale,
with large amount of music. is one made
up Of the following hard billed birds, and
that it is q successful one is evident from
the fact that no death has occurred among
them during the two years they have been
together.
pair of wax-bill finches, and two of
their cousins, amandavas; two red-breasted
grosbecks, two nonpareils, one blue bird,
and two love- birds; two male and four fe-
male canarics, and a pair Of yellow birds.
The cost OF such collection, if bought
at the proper season, is from thirty 10 forty
dollars, and from no music box that was
over made can sucn a liberal amount of
happy melody be obtained.
The care of them is very light. A dish
of rape, one of canaly and one of millet
seed is all that is necessary in the way of
food, with perhaps the exception of let
tuce leaf each day during the summer.
Four cups for bathing purposes, and two
for drinking water. and the contents to be
changed night and morning, make up the
list of their modest wants, in return for
which they sing all the day. while the gros-
beaks continue the melody until far into
the night.
If one has space for larger aviary,
very beautiful collection of hard billed
birds may be made as follows two cardinal
and two red d-breasted grosbeaks, pair each
of the wax-bill paradise and amandava
finches. two siskins, two linnets and gold
finch. For the more common birds add
two Java sparrows, two nonpareils, and six
female canaries. The cost Of such q COL
lection should be about double that of the
one previously mentioned.
1t is not we'll to put the bullfinch into an.
aviary, unless he be an uneducated, stupid
bird, and even then the collection is better
without him. IF he is able to whistle q
tune. it is quite liable to be injured by
phcing him with numbers of other birds,
and all that is most pleasing about him
is best shown when he is in a cage by
himself.
Avoid the purple finch, as he is a very
quarrelsome fellow, and will breed trouble
in the best-regulate1 aviary. The tomtit
to let him loose among we'll behaved birds
is to introduce them to amurderer, since he
will often kill his cage mates.
For u small collection of soft billed birds,
at the cost of fifty dollars or less, the fol-
lowing will thrive we'll together: two black
birds, one nightingale, three Baltimore
orioles, two yellow breasted chats, cat
bird, two blue robins, and one South Amer
ican tropical. For such q collection two
cups Of mocking. bird food, one of chopped
raisins. with now and then little boiled
lean beef chopped fine, and Of course plenty
of water and gravel, are all that is neces-
sary.
If one prefers to make the food himsel
rather than use the prepared mocking- bird
food, paste, made fresh each day is thus
described by one Of the Oldest bird dealers
in New York city:
take Of stale -four bread two -fifths; soak
we'll in:water, ,and then press theegreater por-
ton of the moisture out; two-ffths Of bar:
ley or oat meal, and one-fifth of hard boiled
egg chopped fine. Mix with milk and water
to the consistency of a'paste."
Meal-worms should also be given occa-
sionally. with plenty Of green food, and
such fruit as sweet apples, cherries, and
berries.
A large and expensive collection Of this
| class Of birds can be made after the style of
one now in the possession Of a bird -fancier
in Philadelphia. It consists of two night
ingales, two blackbirds, and three wood
arks, four Baltimore orioles, two yellow.
breasted chats, two South American
troopials, two cat. birds, and three blue
robins, two black caps, two fauvettes, one
bablllard, two starlings, and two skylarks.
No mockipg- bird should be put into the
aviary. unless one has more than he can
conviently keep separate, since the imme-
date companionehip of other birds is liable
to make him dull, and careless as to his
singing.
The thrush family are Objectionable
birds in an aviary, despite the volume of
song the great majority of them have, be-
cause Of their slovenly habits. If this food
be where thrush can get at it readily he
will soil his house more in five minutes
A. l..