253 



afterwards, suddenly dropping from his perch dead. The 

 other poor little chap was much distressed for a time, 

 when he looked through the glass partition and failed to 

 see his l^rother and companion. 



The remaining one I kept two years, and sliowed him 

 at Yarmouth, Norwich, and Ipswich, and intended 

 exhibiting him at the Palace, as the qtiestion of including 

 the species in the list of British Birds was just at that 

 time decided by the National British Bird and Mule 

 Club in favour of adding it to the list. But during the 

 moult he died. I may say that those I have seen 

 shown at the Palace in the British Bird Classes looked 

 to me suspiciously like foreigners : their plumage being 

 of a much lighter shade than any British specimen I 

 ever received, and I have had them at all times of the 

 year. 



Great Yarmouth. W. Lowne. 



THE DOUBLE-BANDED OR BICHENO'S 

 FINCH. 



(Stictoptera hichenovii) . 



Though by no means brightly coloured, this is one 

 of the prettiest and most charming of the Grassfinches. 

 It has been well known in this country for some thirt}' 

 years, but has never been imported in great numbers, 

 and has sometimes been almost unprocurable. Formerly 

 one of the most expensive of foreign finches, it has, like 

 nearly all other species, fallen greatly in price of late 

 vears, and can now sometimes be obtained at about the 

 price the Zebra Finch fetched ten years ago. 



The Double-banded Finch generally reaches this 

 country in poor condition, and is then very delicate. 

 Probably it would not stand cold so well as the larger 

 Grassfinches, and it can scarcely be called a hardy bird 

 at any time— but on the other hand, when carefully im- 

 ported in summer, it seems fairly easy to keep it in 

 health. The four which I purchased in June last are all 

 still alive and well. 



