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^be (Tbincee iPaintcD (Siuail. 



( Excalfactoria ch incnsisj . 

 By Randot.ph Quin. 

 HIS little bird, which is about the size of a 

 fortnight-old chicken, makes an interesting 

 addition to the aviary, and, as it is stricth^ a 

 ground bird, its presence does not add to the 

 crowd of birds above the floor level. 



The female is a plain little speckled-brown thing, 

 but the male has the breast and sides blue, and the 

 under parts claret-colour — also some striking bands of 

 black and white across the throat and extending to 

 the ear-coverts. 



This bird endures well on canar}^ and millet seed 

 wath the addition of a little soft food and a few insects. 

 It is semi -nocturnal in its habits, and decidedly 

 pugnacious — in fact two cocks will often fight to the 

 death immediately they are introduced. 



The species has been successfulh' bred by 

 several aviculturists — notably by Mr. Seth- Smith, 

 who reared quite a large number one season. The 

 young are wonderfully precocious — and are stated to 

 be apparently adult at five weeks old. They should 

 be fed at first on fresh ants' eggs, and it is doubtful 

 whether they could be reared w^ithout them. 



JSritisb Bivb IKlotes. 



Mr. Sandy's Nuthatch, after Ijeiiig caged 5^ years, recently 

 escaped. 



Mr. E. D, Nicliolas ]\Ieyer writes me as follows : — "It may 

 interest you to know that on arriving home at Rexhill I found 

 four out of my five Greenfinch hens were sitting on clutches 

 of five eggs each, and the fifth building. The cocks are 

 Siskin, Goldfinch, and Twite. My Linnet-Siskin pair are just 

 beginning to build." 



Mr. T. H. Ride sends me a list of miirrants which he has seen. 



