- 93 



calls this bird, as a sprightly active little creature, and 

 says that the song of a number singing against each 

 other in a cage is pleasing and melodious ; they are^ 

 however, so quarrelsome that as a rule they should be 

 kept in pairs, or if one wishes to keep several together 

 they must have a very large cage. The nest he des- 

 cribes as placed in a thick bush and built principally 

 of grass and moss ; it usually contains four eggs. 



So sensitive are these birds to cold during the 

 breeding season and the moult, that the temperature 

 of the bird - room should never be allowed to fall 

 below 80-85 Fahr. at these times, though as a general 

 rule and under ordinary circumstances they do well at 

 a temperature varying between 55 and 65 Fahr. 



The habitat of these Firefinches is South Africa, 

 especially Natal and Kaffraria (2), where they are 

 generally distributed, though common nowhere. 

 Heuglin saw them in Bogosland (3) at an elevation of 

 4-5000 ft. above sea level, flying about in pairs among 

 the bush-covered rocks and kopjes, and he also met 

 with them in the hot low-lying valleys of Gallaland. 

 No further information have travellers or explorers 

 given us regarding them (4). 



Outside my own bird-room they have been kept 

 by Mr. Linden, Count York von Wartenburg, Mr. 

 Jaenicke in Hoyerswerda, and Mr. Wiener in London. 

 It seems to be a quiet, shy little bird, which inhabits 



{2) Eastern Cape Colouy and Natal. (Dr. Stark). 



(3) Heuglin's birds must have been L. i-ufopicta, L. riibricaia being- con- 

 fined to South Africa. (E. H.) 



(4) In the recently published "Birds of South Africa," by Stark and 

 Sclater, the late Dr. Stark (vol. i, p. 95) says these birds are generally found 

 in pairs ; he further gives some notes on their habits and describes their 

 nest and eggs. 



