Ill 



" most gentle ; when the little company with eager 

 " hasle flock to the morning's fresh supply of food, to 

 " quarrel over the seed scattered on the sanded floor, 

 " this unassuming little bird always gives way to the 

 " others, and never struggles for the best place here 

 " or at the water-pan ; again his roosting place is 

 " invariably one which the others will not take, for 

 " when the company begin to prepare themselves for 

 "the night by arranging themselves in a close-packed 

 " row along one of the perches, it is always the fate of 

 " this patient bird to be the end one, as whenever 

 "another finds himself here, he will at once hop onto 

 " the backs of the others, and push himself in amongst 

 "them with the greatest impudence: — a pretty sight 

 " this many-coloured row, especially if this carmine 

 " coloured mite, a Green Avadavat and a Cordon Bleu 

 " happen to be neighbours, but however long the 

 " line, the outer colour never varies, it is always the 

 " red of our forbearing little friend. He can hardly be 

 " said to possess an actual song, this being represented 

 "by a tinkling di-syllabic note frequently repeated." 



Dealers consider this bird one of the most delicate 

 of the small foreigners, and they are certainly right, 

 as it is always very likely to succumb within a 

 short time after arrival, if subjected to unfavourable 

 environment or influences, as draughts, cold, raw and 

 damp weather, etc. Another cause of the great 

 mortality soon after importation among the commonly 

 imported foreigners (such as Firefinches, Cordons, 

 and Lavenders), is the change of diet, white millet 

 replacing the Senegal millet on which they have so 

 far been fed ; and in addition there is also the 

 difference in the character of their drinking water, 

 while the many frights to which they are subjected by 

 frequent handling and catching must also be injurious. 

 To minimise this loss, freshly imported birds should 

 be kept in roomy cages, or better still, allowed to fly 

 loose in a small room, furnished with brushwood, 



