The Diamond 8]parroiu. 135 



quarrelsome, a character given to them by several writers. 

 The female, if supplied with an abundance of building material, 

 such as hay, bass, cocoa or aloe fibre, and feathers, makes a 

 nest for herself in a bush; but if there are other birds in 

 the aviary, she prefers the protection of a small box, or a 

 German wicker-cage, usually rearing her young without the 

 slightest difficulty or fuss on sponge-cake, soaked millet, bread, 

 and ants' eggs: the young greatly resemble their parents. 



The cry or call-note of the Diamond Sparrow is one of the 

 most melancholy sounds I ever heard, and that, too, without 

 being in the least degree musical; it is drawn out to an 

 unconscionable length, and capable, I should think, of turning 

 the brain of any unfortunate mortal condemned to listen to 

 it continuously for any length of time. The male has a little 

 song, which is tolerably sweet, but only heard during the 

 brief season of courtship. There are frequently two, sometimes 

 three broods in the season; but occasionally, if the hen has 

 been disturbed by mice, or other birds, with her first brood, 

 she will, apparently in disgust, give up the attempt to become 

 a mother for the remainder of the year, and will not lay 

 again till spring. 



The Diamond Sparrow inhabits all the temperate parts of 

 Australia, especially the valley of the river Murray, where I 

 have frequently found its nest in the mallee scrub, but never 

 at any great distance from water. 



In the house a diet of seeds, canary and millet, with green 

 food, grass and groundsel (poor groundsel) will keep these 

 birds in perfect health; but when breeding they must, in 

 addition, be supplied with the various extras already enu- 

 merated. 



"When it arrives in this country, the Diamond Sparrow is 

 usually in the most deplorable condition, almost entirely 

 featherless, and exhausted; but when transferred to a larger 

 cage, or, better still, restored to comparative freedom in a 

 large room or aviary, ic soon regains its feathers and condition. 



