I have been told that these birds often die in fits, 

 and therefore people are afraid of keeping them, but I 

 have had my old bird over two years, and he is very 

 flourishing, never having ailed all the time. The 

 other two seem to have quite got over their fits and are 

 doing well. I showed this pair at Twickenham bird 

 show a week or two before Xmas, and they took first 

 prize in the only class for foreign birds that was not 

 cancelled. 



Some IRcininiscences of mp lEarlv 2)ap6 

 of 3foreion BirD Ikcepmg. 



By J. A. Swan. 

 {Co7itinned front Vol. IV. p. 240.) 



And now I must confess my memory fails me with 

 regard to the order in which my next birds were pur- 

 chased, for I began to launch out into other and larger 

 cages, thereby adding as a matter of course to the 

 collection. So I will just mention any particulars 

 which occur to me as I write, and which I think likely 

 to be of interest. 



It was about this time, I believe, that I first 

 directed my attention to the Weavers, a family which 

 held me in thrall for many years, in fact until the 

 more delicate Insectivorous birds in their turn began 

 to fascinate me. 



The first member of the group was a Yellow- 

 Weaver, and I made my eyes ache by the anxious 

 longing with which I looked for the change of 

 plumage. The bird turned out to be a hen, so had it 

 not died after a few years, and had I not meanwhile 

 grown tired of watching for the colour which did not 



