235 



turvey on to the floor of the cage. Sometimes one 

 managed to liold the coveted elevation, sometimes the 

 other, and then the little black heads were tucked 

 under the wing (it must be very nice to be your own 

 eider-down quilt and tuck yourself up in your own 

 recesses) and a tiny chirp from each seemed to say 

 " Good night, dear ! " and the Bird's Day was ended. 



Some TRcminiscences of m\> lEarlv? Bavs 

 of iforeiGu BirO Ikeepino- 



By J. A. Swan. 



^T^irr'MONG the very earliest of my foreig:; bird keep- 

 H ing experiences I particularly remember my 

 l-J^ first Saffron Finch. I had a few days 

 ^ previous!}^ purchased some Mannikins, and 



I wanted some l)riglit coloured birds to enliven the 

 aviary. Calling" at lyUer's in the East End, I saw what 

 appeared to me at the time to be a glorified Canary, 

 and I eagerly enquired what it was and the price. 

 Much to my relief the latter item was very small — only 

 one and ninepence if I remember rightly — so I had no 

 hesitation in closing with the offer. I must confess 

 that the bird's head was partly bald, which somewhat 

 detracted from his appearance, and probably accounted 

 for the low figure; but as I was told "his hair" would 

 soon grow again, I mentally accepted the discount. 



If I was pleased with the appearance of the bird 

 whilst in the shop I was quite charmed with his pretty 

 colours and sprightly manner when he was introduced 

 to the Mannikins. Hither and thither darted his 

 bright and flashing yellow body, the green on the back 

 making a beautiful contrast to the brighter plumage, 

 while the darkly marked wings and saffron crown 

 completed a tout e7isemble which, ^even in later years, 

 I regarded as a very striking picture. 



