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The Spice Bird or Nutmeg Finch is yet another 

 quietly dispositioned bird, and therefore as equally 

 desirable as the Silverbill. Its appearance will at once 

 attract the attention of strangers on account of the 

 quaint black and white bars which run horizontally 

 across the chest, reminding one somewhat of a Plymouth 

 Rock in miniature — at least this was the impression I 

 received on first seeing one of the species. There is 

 very little in the habits of the bird in captivity to lead 

 one to enthuse over : but on the other hand I can cor- 

 dially affirm that I know nothing whatever against it, 

 which is a good deal more than can be said of some 

 species. It is moreover a simple liver, and will be 

 quite content with the fare provided for the Silver- 

 bills, which is another ''feather in its cap" from an 

 avicultural point of view, and reflects everlasting credit 

 on its progenitors. 



It will have doubtless been noticed that all the 

 species mentioned in this series of articles are com- 

 paratively common and nearly always freely imported. 

 They are, ipso facto, all birds of moderate price, and 

 yet the range they provide the budding aviculturist 

 with is sufficient to ground him in the knowledge most 

 useful to him when he essays the task of keeping the 

 rarer and, generally considered, more delicate species, 

 to which nearly all amateurs drift sooner or later. 



Another strong point in favour of the birds I have 

 enumerated lies in the fact that they present the least 

 possible amount of trouble and anxiety to the young 

 foreign bird-keeper in the matter of suitable food and 

 attention. Given plenty of varied seeds and clean water 

 for drinking and bathing, with occasional dainties in 

 the way of green food, they will do very well and will 



