The Twite 83 



there is no such trifling with the second structure. Although a late breeder, not 

 commencing uidification before the middle of May, the Twite is double-brooded. 



It is probable, as in the case of allied species, that this bird feeds partly 

 upon small caterpillars, as well as the leaves and unripe seeds of weeds. In con- 

 finement it is passionately fond of soft food. 



From time to time I have had Twites brought to me by bird-catchers ; and, 

 in 1889, I purchased two males and turned them loose iu one of my cool aviaries: 

 they very soon became fairly tame, but nothing like so confiding as Redpolls ; 

 the}-, nevertheless, sang from the first. Most birds are selfish, but very few are 

 so persistently greedy, and spiteful withal, as Twites : I had some Canaries in 

 the same aviary ; and, as the}' had barely completed their moult, a saucer of egg- 

 food was daily placed in the aviary for their benefit ; no sooner, however, did the 

 Twites discover that egg was good, than they simply took possession of the saucer, 

 savagely attacking every Canary that attempted to come near it until their some- 

 what voracious appetite was sated. 



In the spring of the following year my Twites began to assume the rosy 

 colouring on the lower back and rump, but before they had fully developed it, 

 they caught septic enteritis from a sick Canary, and, early in June, both of them 

 died. I never cared to purchase others. 



In the first volume of the " Avicultural Magazine," p. 118, Mr. G. C. Swailes, 

 of Beverley, Yorks., gives the following interesting account of his experiments 

 in breeding Twites in confinement: — "A pair of Twites fAca)ilhis flavirostris) have 

 this season bred and reared young in my small aviary, and as it is, I believe, a 

 rather uncommon occurrence, a few notes may be acceptable ****** 

 The birds are a very interesting pair, both being abnormally coloured — the cock 

 about half white pied, and the hen pure white (the latter may be known to some 

 of my readers, as it has been exhibited at both the Palace and Aquarium shows). 

 They are kept with about half a dozen other Finches iu an aviary quite out in 

 the country. 



The hen commenced to build on May 14th, and laid her first egg on the 

 17th, laying altogether five eggs and sitting closely after the third was laid. I 

 did not again look at the eggs, but saw the old birds busy feeding on the 2nd 

 of June and following days. I looked in the nest on the 8th, hoping to find some 

 fine young birds, but the nest contained only one poor starved thing which died 

 on the following day : the weather was very storni}' at the time they were hatched 

 and I think this was the cause of their doing so badly. 



On the 15th I noticed that the hen had nearly completed another nest, and 

 she laid on the i6th and three following days: having a Redpoll nesting at the 



