39 



however, where this difficulty can be overcome a 

 certain proportion of these more ready pupils will 

 live, and, as we have seen, one here and there will 

 even be able to adapt itself to the most destructive and 

 unnatural diet. On the other hand the Goldcrest, in 

 whose case no difficulty exists as to the manner of 

 feeding, is so "delicate" that imder the usual 

 English 77iethod of 7uitrition he scarcely lives at all, 

 although it is true that he seems to do pretty well 

 when fed on a more nearly natural diet. 



(To be conthmed). 



®ne of the ITlees of a ffiirt)'6 Beak. 



By vS. H. vSnp:i,i„ M.D. (London). 



' #vj |' HEN Hawfinch came into my possession with 

 Im the tip of the upper mandible broken off. 

 I J^ It managed, however, to break its seed fairly 

 -^ well, and I turned it into an outdoor aviary 



with some other finches. After about three months I 

 noticed that the bird was beginning to droop. I caught 

 and examined it, and found it to be absolutely swarm- 

 ing with lice, of which there must have been myriads. 

 The lice were large, whitish and about i-20th of an 

 inch in length. They swarmed round the insertion of 

 every feather, and some half-dozen had ensconced 

 themselves in the folds of the conjunctiva between 

 eye and lid. The whole condition was horrible in the 

 extreme. I examined some of the lice under the 

 microscope, and a drawing of an entire animal and 

 one limb is here reproduced. 



Obviously the bird was unable, from the condi- 

 tion of the beak, though otherwise healthy, to 

 properly prune itself and keep down the insect 



