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lately been experiencing. It has two large windows, and when- 

 ever it is fairly warm the big cage of Waxbills goes out and 

 remains out until the sun no longer reaches it. On the walls 

 I have at present eight large cages, mostly home-made— wood 

 ou three sides, top and fror.t wire, painted uniformly on the 

 inside a pale blue in enamel paint (which can be easily 

 washed) and stained a deep mahogany outside. I have a 

 thick layer of gritty sand fresh every day with some sea 

 sand and '* Hydes" added. The Waxbills get grass seed, maw 

 seed and fresh flies, which they love, ants' eggs, and some 

 of any soft food going, " Bacozzi " and a big clump of grass 

 with seed, or chickweed and sometimes lettuce, and of course 

 the usual two millets and canary seed. A big bath with three 

 sides glass is given to them in which they bathe freeh', tumbling 

 in two or three at a tinie, and fighting the late comers for 

 possession. I never give the bath after loa.m. and not on very 

 foggy da3's unless I have a fire in the room for them to dry 

 quickly. In this cage I have the following birds, two cock 

 Firefinches, a pair of Cordon Bleus (the lien has laid ten eggs 

 and has twice been egg bound, but I have been lucky in curing 

 her), four Orange Cheeks, four Avadavats, two Waxbills, and 

 four Orange-breasted Waxbills. With one pair of these I got rst 

 prize at the C.B.A. Show the other da\'. They all know me 

 and I give them six or more small mealworms (which they love) 

 every day, and they call to me if they hear my voice. They 

 are most intelligent little mites, and their little ways are 

 fascinating to watch. 



The next cage contains a yellow-billed Cardinal. He is 

 very tame and flies about the room while I write, he loves meal- 

 worms, and always has liis tub outside his cage. He is a very 

 small eater and prefers canary to millet and does not touch the 

 spray millet. His name is "Felix." 



Next to him are " Punch and Judy," (all the birds have their 

 names over their cages, it looks very smart), a pair of charming 

 white Java vSparrows. They have a nest receptable of the cigar 

 box type, with the cut off" portion of the lid hinged down to 

 form a platform, ou which they love to sit and make and 

 unmake the nest all day. They are very tame and come ou to 



