no 



" practical man is a man who practises the errors of 

 " his predecessors.' " 



To the above may be fittingly appended the words 

 of another medical man, also once a teacher of 

 medical youth : — " The man who thinks and knows 

 " first, and then acts in accordance with that knowledge, ■ 

 " is the true practical man. The man who thinks and 

 ** knows, but does not act, is the theoretical man. • The 

 " man who does not think and does not know is a 

 "harmless nonentity if he does not act, and a mis- 

 "chievous meddler if he does. He is the apostle of 

 " ignorance, and if he attempts to lead, he is a blind 

 " leader of the blind." 



^be Common 3firefincb. 



{Lagofwsticia minima). 



A trauslation from Dr. Kari, Russ's " Die frenidlandisclien 

 Stubenvogel." 



By E. HOPKINSON, M.A., M.B., D.vS.O. 



With notes. 



[Continued from page 60). 



THE Firefinch is a favourite with everybody, and 

 when once acclimatised will live many years 

 in beautiful condition ; an amiable inmate of. 

 the bird-room or cage, though to be sure it will, 

 quarrel at the breeding season with its near allies, the- 

 Common and Green Avadavats, the Golden-breasted, 

 Waxbill, etc. : but such quarrels, though often fierce, 

 rarely cause any serious harm. In my bird-room 

 many pairs of all these species have nested at the 

 same time, without ever doing each other any real 

 damage, and old and young of different broods all 

 live together in perfect amity, a delightful family 

 party. Dr. Luchs extols the amiability of these birds 

 as follows : — " Among a number of different Wax- 

 " bills in a cage together, it is by far the quietest and 



