The Endurance of Birds. 135 



In one or two cases tlie instances of successful l^reedin:.'" 

 are merely isolated ones, and w itli those species, not yet success 

 fully bred in captivity in this country, this should be an added 

 incentive in their favour, so as to fill in the ,^"a])s in the list of 

 species successfully bred, and to place on record the data 

 ^'leaned therefrom. 



.•\11 are species which are easy to acquire and keep in 

 captivity; reciuiriny only ordinary forei,<j;n finch treatment to 

 achieve success — sooner or later in a well appointed garden 

 aviary success must come with those species, not as yet bred 

 to intelligent, patient endea\our. Then owing to so many, 

 considering certain species " too common " to write about, 

 the last word has not yet been said even about such species as 

 Magpie, and Bronze ^fannikins. and even Zebra Finches; so 

 detailed accounts of the successful keeping" and breeding" of th" 

 freely bred species are not "mere packing", ' but interesting 

 reading. 



Magpie IMaxxikix.— Some give this species the reputation 

 of pugnacity, and undoubtedly such pairs occur, and owing to 

 their formidable beaks are capable of doing much ill ; but I mus*^ 

 speak of them as I have found them, and my numerous pairs 

 have always acted on the principle of " live and let live " ■ 

 looking well after themselves, and leaving their neighboui: 

 undisturbed to do likewise. 



I have found this species the most prolific of all the 

 mannikins, and usually all young hatched out are fully reared 

 At all times they are '-ery partial to live insects, but when 

 feedinj^ young these are essential. 



The genera] menu is millet and canary seed, they are fond 

 of a little paddy rice, as are most of this group, and should get 

 at any rate occasional live insects. 



In my aviaries they have favoured a small box of som-- 

 kind in which to build their s])herical nest — I have only once seen 

 one such constructed in a living bush: it was large, spherical, 

 rough and untidy looking exteriorally, and lined with fine 

 g^rasses and a few feathers. 



