58 



The Enduronce of Birds. 



years I did not kee]) tlieni on tliat account, but once acclimatised 

 and i^ixeu dry winter quarters they are not a delicate sjjecies. 



With such a beautiful species, it would form a valuable 

 and interesting' topic if a number of our members would i^ive 

 their experiences in keeping it, supplying full details of feeding 

 and general treatment ; and I certainly hope there will be a good 

 response to this suggestion. 



Scaly-crowned Finxh (Sporopipcs squamiivous). This 

 attractive African finch has only bred once in my aviary and 

 but few aviculturists have had much success with it. Ono 



-•vfJ!:;-, notable exception is our 



m e m b e r Mr. W. E. 

 Teschemaker who had a 

 prolific pair, so much so, 

 that he expressed the opin- 

 ion that for freeness of 

 breeding it would prove a 

 rival to the Zebra Finch. 

 He must ha^-e been fortu- 

 nate in his birds, for I 

 know of no one else who 

 has lieeii similarly success- 

 ful. If I remember rightlv 

 the purcliasers of his stock 

 had only mediocre results. 



Scaly-crowned Finch. 

 Sporiijilpes s(j/ia iii/fi-on.< 



Such experience is by no means isolated in foreign bird-keeping 

 and hence has arisen the term " breeding pair " — there is no 

 doubt that among a given munbei of aviculturists, all with 

 roomy natural aviaries, if pairs of a given species were distri- 

 buted among them, one or two of them would get excellent 

 results and the others practically no luck at all ; thougli all alike 

 might be skilful and experienced aviculturists. 



I have had but few of them, and certainly found them 

 ready enough to go to nest, but they proved l)ad sitters, even 

 when they got as far as eggs: with another member thev 

 hatched out young freely, but did not fully rear any. 



It is a hardy species. Ijut certainly feels a cold wet 



