178 Birds I Have Kept. 



are inevitable; but given plenty of room, birds of different 

 species will not, as a rule, interfere with one another. 



If the temperature of their abode is maintained at a min- 

 imum of 60° Fahr., these birds will keep on breeding with 

 scarcely any intermission all the year round. 



The nest is made in a box, or a Hartz-cage, of hay, straw, 

 fibre, etc., just like that of a Sparrow, and is lined with wool 

 and feathers: the eggs are from four to seven in number, 

 and are hatched in twelve days. The young are readily 

 enough reared on ants' eggs, egg- food and soaked seeds. 



The old birds are sometimes excellent feeders, and sometimes 

 will not rear a single young one, deserting the nest when 

 the nestlings are about a week old; when this happens they 

 can be brought up by hand. 



The Eibbon-Finch is a native of Africa, but nevertheless 

 extremely hardy: I have not, however, tested its endurance 

 out of doors during the winter. 



CHAPTER LXIV. 



THE IKDIGO BIED. 



THIS bird and its congener, which forms the subject of 

 the next chapter, are rather Buntings than true Finches, 

 as any one who has tried keeping them on a Finch's diet has 

 soon found out to his cost. 



The Indigo Bunting measures about five inches in length, 

 and, during the summer, as may be gathered from its name, is 

 of a deep indigo blue colour, which is more intense on the 

 crown of the head than on any other part of the bird's body: 

 but this bright attire he only wears for about the four warmest 

 months of the year, after which he puts on an unpretending 

 brownish grey suit, with a very slight and indistinct shade 



