My Birds. 313 



Everyone knows the Chaffinch and its habits, but I may 

 here say that as an aviary bird it is as nearly perfect as can 

 be imagined, except that it does not nest — at least with me. 

 The pair which I placed in my aviary five years ago are there 

 still, and look quite as healthy and as happy as their kindred 

 outside — which by the way are very fond of lighting on the 

 wire in the endeavour to become partakers with the captives 

 — not I suppose in the captivity, but in the good things 

 provided for the captives. 



The Common I^innet is very easily kept in an aviary, and 

 is not, so far as I know, liable to diseases. One which I 

 caught under my hat whilst it was trying to get into the 

 aviary, is an especially good songster, and appears quite 

 tame. I have an idea that it must have escaped from captivity 

 before it was caught by me. The song is very sweet, and it 

 continues the music till very late in the evening. The Twite 

 I have found very hard to keep, and it appears to be not 

 nearly so hardy as the Common Ivinnet. I had to renew my 

 specimens several times, and, although I possess one for over 

 two years, I cannot recommend this species as being so 

 satisfactory as either the I^innet or the Redpoll. Of this latter 

 species I have had four, for about five years, and I am able to 

 disprove a statement in regard to its colour, which maintains 

 that the captive bird having lost the red colour never 

 recovers it in captivity ; for at this present moment one of 

 these four has as brilliant a colour as I have ever seen, even 

 in the most recent captives. I once possessed a large Mealj^ 

 Redpoll — purchased in Bride-street, and supposed to have 

 been captured near Dublin, but it was accidentally hanged 

 through being entangled in a piece of thin twine. None of 

 these birds ever commenced even to build a nest, and I have 

 never noticed any inclination to pair, though I always keep 

 my birds in pairs when possible. " 



(TO BR CONCtUDKD). 



