The Endurance of Birds. 33 



centage of loss was very low indeed. This group of birds 

 flourishes at our London Zoo under the " shut in at night " 

 rkjimc 



While I so write of the Whydahs, it will be noted that 

 not a single one of the twenty-three species of Weavers I have 

 listed bears this sign, although very many of them go out of 

 colour (moult) in mid-winter. I am not fully prepared with 

 a reason for this; it may be possible that the long tail plumes 

 entail a greater strain upon the bird's system than is the case 

 with the Weavers, yet I cannot accept this as a reason, though 

 at one time my collection, a fairly large one, consisted en- 

 tirely of Weavers, Whydah-s, and the Weaving Finches gener- 

 ally {Ploceidae) ; nevertheless I am face to face with the 

 fact that while, the Weavers pass the winter without any ap- 

 parent difficulty, the' losses among the Whydahs are fairly 

 numerous, especially during wet winters. Thus, whenever 

 possible, my Whydahs come indoors for the winter, as my 

 general aviary is not constructed on the '" night-drive " prin- 

 ciple. 



Then certain of: the Finches and Buntings bear this 

 sign, too. Here I think there \vill be greater unanimity of 

 experience, as in our Journal there ha\e been manv articles 

 which seem to imply this; true, nearly every species so 

 marked has successfully wintered outside, but the evidence of 

 a single locahty, single season, or a single aviary, without 

 details, cannot be accepted as proving the case even for the 

 Southern counties of Great Britain. 1 have kept many ol 

 these out of doors all the year round, ^.g. my lovely little 

 Lavender-backed Finch {Spt'rnwpL-Ui castaneivcntris) passed 

 through its first winter in my out-door aviary perfectly well 

 (this winter had been dry but very severe, with long con- 

 tinued frosts); and was in spotless condition all the following 

 spring and summer. The succeeding autumn, winter, and early 

 spring, may be fairly described as mild, muggy, wet, and 

 my little Lavender-backed Finch succumbed. Even in excep- 

 tional liard dry winters, 1 have found that it is not during 

 severe frosts ot even diree and four weeks duration that birds 

 need their owner's care, ,or the period when losses distress him. 

 it is at the tliaw tliat the critical period arrives. 



