i66 Foreign Birds 



and doubt it ? But I am dealing; with matters whicli are not al- 

 ways intelligible to ourselves. For instance one of my Orange 

 Bishops has a trick of closing the eye which is turned to the 

 front of the aviary. At first I thought it might be a cold — but 

 no - he turned round soon after and closed the other. Then, 

 thought 1. he closes them both; but like the stag in the fable. 

 he keeps his weather eye open, and knows all that goes on 

 among his friends. Another C)range Bishop has stich a sleek 

 and prosperous air, and a decided disinclination for too much 

 exercise, that he passes for the " Alderman." 



A Crimson-crowned IJishop is a very good nattired 

 fellow, and is quite content to jjass his time laying the founda- 

 tions of new nests — and there he leaves them and starts another. 

 A Napoleon, appropriately enough, tries to accomplish the task 

 of completing these many pieces of architecture, but never has 

 time to finish one on account of the many that recjuire his atten- 

 tion. Another Crimson-crowned Weaver has a shocking temper, 

 and a short time ago his head and neck were almost bare of 

 feathers through his successive " mills." As he finds he doesn't 

 always get matters his own way, he has quieted down consider- 

 ably lately, and seems to be reflecting on the situation. And 

 perhaps it is time, when a small Zebra Finch gives him a good 

 thrashing first, and then lectures him on his conduct afterwards ! 

 Then there is a Saft'ron Finch who is a confirmed " tippler," 

 though seemingly in the best of health. And why should a 

 certain Black-headed Mannikin prefer to have a shower bath 

 when his companions bathe, rather than do as they and have a 

 bath of his own? Or a Bengali distinguish himself and get 

 dubbed " Diogenes," simply l)ecause he chose to pass his time 

 in an ornamental straw nest ? Or a — but no. T must not trespass 

 further on our limited space, beyond congratulating Miss 

 Alderson on her Shamah. which is certainly a very good mathe- 

 matician, and another instance of individuality in birds. 



One more instance, and this time a perfectly understand- 

 able one occurs to me. Why should one of my Grey Singing 

 Finches always sleep leaning against a perch, or the wires of 

 the aviary? And the reason in this case is because he has only 

 one leg — and a very good reason too, don't you think ? 



