Feeding and Keeping Hardbills. 43 



articles of birds kept under such conditions predominate; at the 

 same time, not as Editor, but as a private member, I deny that 

 the minority (those vvlio keep birds in cag'es) are shut out — if 

 tliose who keep birds in cages will not write articles and give 

 their experiences, who is to blame? Most certainly neither 

 tht Editor nor other E.B.C. cfificials. How often have we 

 reminded our members that there is a Correspondence section 

 in our journal, and invited them to discuss methods of feeding, 

 treatment in all its details, and to make known their difficulties 

 or lack of knowledge therein. What response has there been? 

 I do not attempt any answer, but leave it to each issue of Bird 

 Notes for the past few years to supply same — verb sap. 



The Writer (Editor) is an aviarist and very seldom keeps 

 birds in cages; true, by force of circumstances he must have 

 so kept sufficient to know how it should be done, but that is 

 certainly not the practical experience of one who must perforce 

 keep all his birds in cages! Again, how deadly monotonous 

 Bird Notes zvould soon become even if he were willing and had 

 the time to do the whole — surely this issue itself must illustrate 

 this most forcibly- -again I say verb sap. 



With this forew^ord I wdll now try to help my fellows- 

 members as far as I can, but certainly in this article I can only 

 deal with them in groups, merely notifying a group that requires 

 any special treatment. 



Under Hardbills comes the bulk of Fringilline and Ploce- 

 ine species, as under: — 



Ploceidae: Waxbills, Weavers, Whydahs, Mannikins and 

 Grassfinches. Under Waxbills, besides those definitely called 

 Waxbills, one includes such species as the Avadavats, Cordon 

 Bleu, Lavender Finch, etc. Under Grassfinches and Manni- 

 kins, besides those so called we include : Bib, Chestnut- 

 breasted, Double-banded, Dwarf, Gouldian, Cherry, Parrot, 

 Parson, Pectoral, Red-headed, Ribbon (Cutthroat), Ruficauda, 

 Zebra, Bicheno's, Nutmeg, Pied-Grass, Sharp-tailed, Spice, and 

 Striated Finches, also, Silverbills (Indian and African), Benga- 

 lese. Diamond and Java Sparrows, and the Pin-tailed Nonpareil. 



FringUUdae : Buntings, Grosbeaks, Siskins and Finches. 

 1 o make all clear to the beginner, I will name some individual 

 species as representatives of this group : Nonpareil, Indigo, 



