236 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



pluck each other perfectly bare. Add ants' eggs to tlieir 

 diet of white millet. 



Zebra Waxbill. — The smallest of all these little birds, 

 it is no bifrsrer than a grolden-crested wren. The general 

 colour is greenish grey ; the breast of the male is orange, 

 and that of the female pale yellowish grey ; the bill is red ; 

 the sides are marked by many faint undulating grey lines. 



It breeds freely in confinement ; the eggs, of course, 

 being very minute. Bass records the case of one of these 

 miniature birds that laid more than 70 eggs in one season. 



Hooded Fin'cii. — Better known by the name of bronze- 

 winged mannikin. This little bird is a general favourite 

 with amateurs, and deservedly so, for it is pretty, hardy, 

 and a free breeder in confinement. It is brownish black 

 above, and white on the under surface ; on the lesser wing 

 coverts are some glossy spots of a bronzed green colour, 

 whence its name, that of hooded finch being derived from 

 the blackish brown of its head. 



Pied Grass Fixch, or magpie mannikin, is about the 

 same size as an English goldfinch, but it has a much stouter 

 beak, which is of a dark, leaden blue colour ; the head and 

 neck are bluish black, and the under ])arts white, except 

 a small chestnut-coloured spot about the middle of the 

 llank on either side ; the wing coverts have a ])rown shade. 



Male and female alike. 



This species also breeds freely in the aviary. 



Fot)d — white millet and canary seed. 



Crimson-Faced Waxbill. — Upper parts olivaceous 

 greenish yellow ; tail brownish black, with central pair of 

 a deep red colour ; rump the same ; forehead, face, and 

 back of neck dull crimson red ; breast orange, with wavy 

 white lines ; other under parts white ; bill coral red ; e^'^es 

 reil. 



Crimson- Wing ED Waxbill. — This bird is a little smaller 



