Australian Finches and birds of other days.



167



AUSTRALIAN FINCHES AND BIRDS OF

OTHER DAYS.


The Editor of ‘ The Emu ’ very kindly gave permission to us

to use articles, etc., from that most interesting periodical, and we

take the opportunity of reproducing a beautiful photograph of a

group of Chestnut-breasted Finches coming to drink at a fountain.


Are the days gone by when aviculturists had the great

pleasure of seeing in the dealers’ collections quantities of these

pretty little Finches, along with Diamond, Parson, Cherry, Long¬

tailed, Pectoral, Gouldian Finches and others?


The Parson Finches were merry little birds, jumping up and

down and swelling out their velvet black gorgets, proudly carrying a

hay stalk to show to a mate.


There cannot be many in England now.


It seems such ages ago since the days of peace and plenty,

those days when one journeyed down past the Tower of London to

St. George’s Street, past the great docks where the ships came in

and out with no fear of submarines and mines and terrors of war

waged at sea bv a cruelly ruthless and unscrupulous enemy; past

folk of all nations, many of whom were of unprepossessing appear¬

ance, past frowsy women sitting on their doorsteps or indulging in

fierce altercations and intemperance, until one’s cab drew up at

Jamrach’s and Abraham’s shops, where the grimy windows were

filled within by piled up cages of parrots and many other birds.

Those days when, on entering, one sometimes saw a cage full of New

Zealand Tu'i birds, uttering water-bubble notes, as well as such gems

as Turquoisine, Paradise, and elegant Parrakeets; days when

one ruined oneself in succumbing to these irresistible temptations,

when one drove away surrounded by travelling-cages containing

birds which one may never see again.


There were blue-eved Satin Bower birds, there were red

Cardinals and American Bluebirds, Nonpareils and Indigo birds and

all the rest.


And now “ by Babylon’s waters.” . . .!


Some day many beautiful things from different parts of Africa

and South America may rejoice the eyes of aviculturists in England,



