no 

 CORRESPONDENCE. 



HYBRID MANNIKINS. 



Sir, — I have had a brood of five young hybrids from 

 a Bronze INIannikin and a fawn and white Bengalese — 

 and the young are exactl}' like Nutmeg Finches orvSpice 

 Birds except that the ground colour at the sides is fawn 

 colour, speckled with black. The}- are about the same 

 size as Nutmeg Finches — a good deal larger than the 

 parents. But my Bronze INIannikins are aviarj'-bred, and 

 very small. GiuIvIA Tommasi. 



WEST AFRICAN BIRDS. 



[The following is an extract from a letter not 

 intended for publication — but it is so interesting that 

 Ave cannot resist the temptation to give the readers of 

 " Bird Notes " the benefit of it. We hope Dr. Hopkinson 

 will forgive us.] 



QuiNELivA, Gambia, 



Jan. j6th, igo2, W. AFRICA. 



******* 



I am now about 70 miles up the river, and encamped 

 about four miles from it, near a native town, and of 

 course all the common finches here are our common 

 West African cage-birds— Waxbills, Cordon Bleus, and 

 Bronze Mannikins ver}' common, and Fire Finches in the 

 villages. The brilliant scarlet of the Fire Finch in 

 freedom is remarkable, especially when compared with 

 the dull colour we see in imported birds. The Cordons 

 are, however, no brighter than some that I have seen in 

 England. 



I think I have seen some Dufresne's Waxbills, and 

 a red-breasted Waxbill I do not know — but I hope to 

 have some caught as soon as we get settled, and if I can 

 get any rare birds I shall bring some home. 



On the whole I think the bird-life is disappointing. 



