So 



the cage door open. There was a whirr and a whish 

 of wings, and with a glad "tweet" away went a 

 Nonpareil ! Luckily he flew upwards and I knew he 

 was safe, for the doors and windows were all closed. 

 The door leading to the garden was open, however, and 

 I had enough presence of mind to close this first before 

 starting after him. There he was, at the top of the 

 house, trying to get through the landing window ! I 

 was more careful afterwards, and did not give him 

 another chance to repeat the performance, for the 

 windows might be open the next time. 



There is also another peculiarity of the Nonpareil. 

 If kept in the house, the bright red on the breast 

 fades at the first moult into a pale yellow which 

 gets deeper each year, until at the third moult the 

 colour is quite golden. A member, to whom I was 

 talking some time ago, told me that at the fourth 

 moult one of his birds came back into its original 

 bright red, which is sufficiently interesting to record. 

 I do not think this is generally the case, however, but 

 perhaps some other members may be able to throw a 

 little more light on the subject. 



" Considering the great beauty and the moderate 

 ** cost of this bird, it is astonishing that it has not 

 " entirely ousted the noisy and more delicate 

 " Canary as a popular cage bird." 



Such is Dr. Arthur Butler's opinion, and a great 

 many aviculturists will be disposed to agree with him. 



