My Yellozv-winged Stigarbirds. 



57 



was tied to business all the week, so the main periods of 

 enjoyment and observation of the birds were Saturday afternoons 

 and Sundays. Nearly every fine Sunday morning found me on 

 a lounge chair in front of the aviary to observe and enjoy — a 

 small table at my side, upon which lay notebook, pencil and 

 smokes. What a memory those Sunday mornings are ! I am 

 not going to tell the whole yarn concerning them, for just now 

 we are only concerned with Cocrcba cyanca. 



How shall I describe them ? What shall I write and what 

 shall I leave unsaid ? Truly a difificult question ! 



First a word as to size. Total length 4^ inches does not 

 seem to imply a wee bird, yet the Yellow-wings are wee fairy- 

 like mites — ^the measurements given in a bird catalogue are from 

 skins and taken from tip of beak to tip of tail, so that the actual 

 body of the bird is little more than two inches long — often, 

 owing to their dainty, graceful contour, tney did not appear 

 larger than the wee Zebra Waxbill when viewed together in the 

 aviary. 



"S'cllow-wiiio; Sugarbird and Zebra Finches. 



The aviary being 15ft. high allowed plenty of scope for 

 tree and plant life, and hazel, hawthorn, elder, etc., reached the 

 top, with the topmost twigs growing through the roof-netting 

 of flight. Upon these the Yellow-wings proved their right to 

 l)e called " Blue Creepers " for no yellow shows until the wings 

 are expanded — up and down the stems and branches they 

 travelled searching unweariedly for every insect to be found, 

 exactly the same as does the English Tree Creeper, and they 



