lOG Freely Imported Species mid their Treatment. 



remark), a sight which I am never tired of observing. They 

 are general favourites, and a pair are mostly to be found in 

 every garden aviary, where with their cheeky, self-assertive 

 ways and penny trumpet sort of song, they are always in evi- 

 dence, and are nearly always interesting or amusing. In the 

 cage already described they reared two broods during the 

 season, liuilding a domed nest in a Hartz travelling-cage, 

 fully rearing eight youngsters, which " yelled blue-murder " 

 for food long after they were able to fend for themselves. 



Diet: Canary, white millet, millet-sprays, greenfood, 

 cuttlebone, and grit, and when they are feeding young a little 

 soft food: tliey will, nevei'theless, rear their yoan.y- on seed alone. 

 I, however, have noticed the parent birds, both in this cage 

 and in the aviary, catching files and taking them to their 

 young. They have l)een crossed with numerous other allied 

 species 



Tht: Silviorbill (Aidemosyne eantans). This Inrd calls 

 for but little notice, lieing well known; is plainly but prettily 

 clad, and forms a pleasing addition to the garden aviary. 

 A pair in a roomy cage are also interesting, and if the trouble 

 be taken to provide them with nesting accommodation, will 

 readilj nest, and bring up several broods in the course ,of 

 the year, without fuss or trouble for they are most excellent 

 l^arents, and usually fully rear all they hatch out. 



Description: Upper surface golden-brown, lightly 

 washed with grey on the mantle and middle of back, with 

 lighter margins to all the feathers, imparting a pretty scaled 

 appearance to the bird; flight and tail feathers blackish -l)rown, 

 the tail is long and pointed; under surface sandy -buff, with 

 light margins, to most of the feathers; centre of abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts white; beak silvery-blue-grey; beak 

 blue-grey; feet greyish. The female is slightly smaller and 

 her plumage is less lustrous, though the difference is not great 

 and of course only applies to adult birds. 



Wild Life: This species is partial to the banks pf 

 streams and cultivated areas, and often uses the nests of 

 Weaver-birds for reproducing its kind, lining them with 

 feathers, wool, etc., and depositing therein three to five white 

 eggs. From the observation of naturalists it would appear 

 that this species does not spend much time on the ground, as 



