AN AUSTRALIAN PIRD LOVER'S AVIARY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14971, 19 May 1914, Page 4

AN AUSTRALIAN PIRD LOVER'S AVIARY.

(By Worregong.)

One New South Wales naturalist at least has found out how to keep Australian birds so that they will breed and are not caused to pino by their restricted liberty. He is Air G. A. Heumann. of "Ramona," Beecroft, and what ho is doing may bo done by others. The old zoo idea of keeping the feathered creatures of the wild in whitewashed prisons is dying out slowly, and one of the enthusiasts to save it a death-blow is Mr Heumann. He has aviaries, of course, but they are of Buch a size that sniall trees and shrubs grow in them and the birds build in them when they want to. Lazy little things many of them; they prefer to accept the artificial bark-covered nesting places put in for them by their host rather than build Tor themselves

Jt takes money and brains, and, above all, patience and kindness, to run a set of aviaries such as Mr Heumann possesses, but the expenditure of all these has its rich reward in satisfaction and in results. If one wants to goo a thoroughly happy man ho should gaze upon Mr Heumann whild ho has a blue-tongue lizard balanced on each shoulder and a few birds picking mealey worms out of his fingers or making themselves comfortable on the top of his old paoaraa hat. while they keep a sharp look-out for tho reptiles just below them. "JAMES" AND "MAGGO."

"James," tbe cagou, introduces himself directly one arrives, and "Maggo" soon comes along for notice, and heralds his arrival by an elocutionary performance which is a credit to his trainer.

The cagou is a large gull from New Caledonia, and is one of a small band Mr Heumann has obtained. The hens are not so resplendent in their plumage as "James." Ho has a rich lavender coloured crest, which is erected in anger or pride, and he likes a scratch behind it. Deep-voiced birds these, and admirable house-watchers. They are even sharper-oared than magpies. Unfortunately, they are fast becoming extinct in Now Caledonia. "Maggo" hopped along and said in the sweetest of voices that ho was a "naughty little Maggo." and added: "Oh, no! Thank you," with the air cf an offended prince, but with a flutelike tone'to which it was delightful to listen. "Maggo," the cagou, a few E-ilver gulls, and some plover and curlew, have the free run of the whole place. They never co away, and they never allow other wild members of their family to settle long at "Ramona." SOMETHING LIKE AVIARIES. The aviaries are 40ft long, 15ft broad, and 10ft high. They axe sur- • rounded by fine meshed wire netting, which is embedded nearly 2ffc in the ground to keep out rats and mice. Tho little rodents never get in for the food of the birds, and all tJie aviaries are tangles of natural shrubbery in which most dainty and beautiful of Australian birds become tame enough to handle. Mr Heumann has 6-5 varieties of Australian birds, and, until a few days ago a largo number of foreign birds. The latter included some gorgeous macawy with bass voices, tanagars, long-tailed whydahs, 6pinohills, weaver birds. shining ftnvlinrrs from Africa, and Californian quail, but some of them have just been sent"to the Zoo at Moore Park, because Mr Heumann is going to fcngland for a trip with his '-~ ~''*<n\ and does -iot want to leave too many beaks behind to beefed. THE FOOD PROBLEM. Tho birds aro fed largely on mealey worms, which aro bred in four great hoses on tho promises, also on bird seed and other grains and bread. Some get honey, which they need to keep them in health. There are over beaks and crops to fill, and it takes an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening to cut up mealey worms for t-hjeni. It is an inspiring ecene when their owner enters the cage with worms. Such timid creatures as the wood-swallow, tho white-eyebrowed caterpillar-eater, tho hooded robin, and the lovely painted finches fly fearlessly up to him and perch en his hand, or wherever they can get a footing, and chirr> for the "morsel that they know is coming. Water is laid on to each aviary, and runs into a cemented pool covered over with stones, like a fern rockery, to keep it cool. The parrot* and cockatoos aro provided intb dead tree-trunks, which hare the necessary "spouts' for their nests. A hybridisinrr experiment in the crossing of a mealey rosella with a Stanley rosella, was made dt Mr Heumann. The <*?r;s hatched out all ripfcf,, BCt *?Vd did not recount** the. youns as +ruo to her type, and bit their beaks off, co they all died. _ , , A galah «ays. " G<wi-bre, father." ! when he sees Mr Heumann setting off 1 with f»H bac in t v e nr-ommg, but merely , "Hullo" when he returns in the afternoon, i

A Mexican narrot is chainnd to *

stand in the open. He remembers that his country is at war with someone, and sticks his beak into tho unwary hand of a stranger. JOHNNY'S VENDETTA. Three attractive Australians whose vocal powers havo won renown, are a pair of kingfishers and a kookooburra. Tho three were brought forward for inspection, and the kookooburra chattered and protested like Madame Angot in a rage, at having to face a camera. He is called*'■ Johnny," and knows his namo. Ho is quito old and never forgets. Between him and the curlews a vendetta rages. Five years ago the curlews laid some eggs, and "'Johnny" found them. They looked good to him, so he polished them off; but, unfortunately for him, he did not get awny in time, and tho curlews saw him. They and the ploverc breed every year there, so they have good memories. Next morning there was no greeting to the sun from "Jobnnyy' and he was found lying in a water basin nearly drowned and scalped. The curlews had got to hi mm the night, nearly picked a hole through his skull, and when they had scalped him, dragged him to the watct basin to drown hi l "-.. Mr Heumaun «t itched up his scalp, warmed him in a gas stove, and after careful nursing restored him to health. While sick ho liked to be fed by band and oiled, but when ho got well he objected to hand-feeding, and now forages for himself, always showing up at "mcajey time." Ho lets tho curlews severely i alone, but he laughs liko a hyena when he sees the harmless blue-tongue lizards which have tho free run of one of the cages. Tho kingfishers are the sweetest singers at 'Ttamona." Their morning and evening greetings aro bird melody at its best. WHYDAHS' SENSE.

'•People say," said Mr Heumann, "that birds havo only instinct. They j have souse, or I'm mistaken. A pair of long-tailed whydalis built themselves a nest with a flimsy bottom. I thought it would not support the eggs they laid, and sure enough, just befoi'e they were ready to hatch, they fell through tho network, and broke on the ground. The birds saw what was tho matter, and next morning put a new bottom in the nest, and niado it quite strong, so that they were able to hatch out a littlo batch of young." Not being a seller of birds, except when ho is going away on a trip, Mr Heumann exchanges with other birdcollectors in various parts of the world. Ho recently sent a pair of Australian mistletoe birds, or Dicaaum swallows, to the London Zoo, and received a letter of hearty thanks for his beautiful gift. These birds are s+col bluo with red chests, and are really handsome. A pair of quail from tho Northern Terrir tory had twelve young in ono of the aviaries this summer. They and some pigeons and golden pheasants from the north are quite happy together. j

A lady visitor who entered the aviary in which some honey-suckers were busy buiiding their nest, had a surprise oho day. Her hair was curiy and loose, and the honey-suchers coveted it. Before long first ono and then another flew down on to her hold and plucked a strand o? hair and took it to their nest. She left in a hurry, as she said she did not, want to be plucked till she was bald.