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IRcstnui of the IRufous^tail (Brassfinch. 



By J. H. Hknstock. 

 In response to the Editor's request for "more 

 copy" (ever the Editor's cry) "of the common or 

 garden variety," I venture to write a short account of 

 the successful nesting and rearing of the Rufous-tail 

 Grassfinch. I purchased a supposed pair of these 

 beautiful birds from a well-known aviculturist in the 

 Spring of last year, and turned them out into my aviary 

 (which is about ii feet square) in which was a fairly 

 large collection of other small Foreigners, Canaries, 

 and British Birds. For some little time they made no 

 effort to pair, but it was very evident they were in 

 good breeding condition. This was indicated by a 

 somewhat grotesque dance both would perform to- 

 gether on a branch or perch. Taking a long bent of 

 hay, sometimes quite a foot long, they would manoeuvre 

 with it like a balancing pole and then get the end in 

 the beak and commence jumping up and down on the 

 perch for a considerable time. This would go on by 

 both birds intermittently all the day, until, one would 

 think, they were weary of it. I noticed also that both 

 had the almost inaudible guttural "song," if indeed 

 the sound produced, may be dignified by such a word. 

 A friend of mine who had seen the birds asked me to 

 get him a pair, aud his also made no attempt to breed. 

 Coming to see me one day he noticed both the dance 

 and song, and said his did not sing. On a closer 

 examination he also expressed the opinion that his 

 birds were much paler in colour than mine, and finally 

 we suggested that probably mine were cocks and his 

 were hens. To settle this, I caught one of mine, and 

 here I may say that this was a shade or two paler in 



