56 



that you, not I, are responsible for the title at the head 

 of the article. I am not a professed ornithologist, and I 

 had never (before) seen a live Humming-bird, therefore I 

 do not care to positively assert that this was one. But if 

 it was not a Humming Bird, what was it ? I have no 

 real doubt in my mind about it. Randolph Quin. 



[I accept responsibility for the title, and in justifica- 

 tion of my giving Mr. Ouin's story such a heading, I can 

 only repeat his question. " If it was not a Humming- 

 bird, what was it ?" — Ed.] 



SUITABLE BIRDS FOR CAGES. 



Sir, — The birds which " W " recommended to his 

 acquaintance make a nice selection, but we all have our 

 fancies, and I expect that no two of us would make 

 exactly the same choice. Personally I think the Waxbills 

 are more suited for cage life than any other birds — they 

 are small, and therefore have more room for exercise 

 than larger birds would have in the same cage, and the 

 hens seldom lay, so that the risk of egg-binding is not 

 great. Green Singing Finches make charming cage- 

 birds, but are rather quarrelsome. Alario Finches are 

 delightful little birds, with a pretty song — ^but they are 

 rare just now, and are not very hardy. I should omit 

 the Budgerigars and Love Birds, as apt to be dangerous. 



If Waxbills are considered too fragile, the following 

 would be my choice for a dozen hardy birds to live 

 together in a cage and make a good show of bright 

 plumage. Pairs, — Chestnut Finch, Grey Java Sparrow, 

 Spice Bird. Cocks, — Paradise Whydah, Pintailed 

 Whydah, Orange Weaver, Napoleon Weaver, Ribbon 

 Finch, Zebra Finch. These would all live well on plain 

 canar3'-seed and white millet, wdth a spray of French 

 millet now and then. They are all cheap birds, except 

 perhaps the Whydahs, and a Silverbill and a Bronze 

 Mannikin might be substituted for the latter. 



Another cage might contain a pair of Green vSinging 

 Finches, a pair of Gre}' Singing P'inches, a cock Non- 

 pareil, a cock Indigo Finch, and a White-throated Finch 



