6o 



the hens meanwhile are changing their greyish dress 

 for one of yellowish brown. 



In all their breeding habits and in the rearing of 

 their young, these birds closely resemble the Grey 

 Waxbill, and like them are among the few Ornamental 

 Finches which can be bred with success in a small 

 flight-cage, no extras or additional assistance being 

 necessary except the maintenance of a high enough 

 temperature. To be sure I must here mention, as a 

 matter of curiosity, that in the bird-room of the well- 

 known oologist. Dr. Baldamus, a pair of these birds 

 mated and reared their young, at a time when their 

 water was frozen every morning, but I need hardly 

 add that one must not argue from this one most 

 exceptional case, that these delicate birds from the 

 Tropics, will as a rule and without difficulty go to 

 nest in an unheated room. On the other hand, it is 

 the common experience of all breeders that the many 

 obscure diseases of the female, which Viellot particu- 

 larly deplores, and the mortality among the young in 

 spite of the greatest attention and care, are entirely 

 attributable to deficient warmth or a too variable 

 temperature in the breeding-room. For instance. 

 Count Yorck, of Wartenburg, who never allows the 

 temperature of his bird-room to fall below 68^* Fahr., 

 certainly has the best breeding record with small 

 foreign birds of any one in Germany. For further 

 particulars I must refer the reader to the Section on 

 Breeding (^), where information on various other 

 points will be found, and where I lay special stress on 

 the need for extra heat during the time while the 

 young are coming into colour. 



{To be contiimed), 



{b) Lelirbuch der Stubeiivogelplege, — Abrichtung und — 

 Zucht. (Magdeburg, 1888), the 4th vohime of Russ' great 

 work, Die fremdlaudischen Stubenvogel. 



