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will they shrivel up at the first frost ; this I have proved 

 experimentally. In a garden aviary, with space for 

 flight and a night shelter, they are as "hard as nails" 

 and care no more for the worst vagaries of an English 

 winter than do our native Sparrows — in fact not so 

 much. If care is taken to procure healthy specimens, 

 few birds are less trouble to keep in health ; their 

 delicacy is only fancied and not real, the critical 

 period of their life being the first few weeks in this 

 country. They should only be turned out of doors 

 during what appears to be a settled spell of warm 

 sunny weather. Few of the inhabitants of my aviary 

 are more cheerful during bad weather than the so- 

 called delicate Gouldian Finch. 



Unless the aviary be a large one the best breeding 

 results will be attained by including only one pair in 

 it, as Gouldians are by no means kindly disposed to 

 their own species during the breeding season ; at the 

 same time they are harmless to other birds, no matter 

 how small. In a cage two pairs would spend their 

 time quarrelling instead of reproducing their kind. 

 For nesting they seem to prefer a Hartz travelling 

 cage, or else a box of the cigar type. 



Zbc ^alpacoti H)o\>e. 



{Chaincepelia ialpacoti). 

 By Miss M. E. Baker. 

 The Talpacoti Doves are exceedingly pretty little 

 birds. They are just a little larger than the Diamond 

 Dove, being rather stouter built and not having such 

 a long tail. The cock in colour is a pretty shade of 

 chocolate, the back and wings being marked with 



