On Bar-breastecl firefinches.



35



eyes were opened for the first time. Both parents fed them assid¬

uously on a diet of seed, but a little bread and milk was also used

the first thing' in the morning. Insects I never saw them take and

no mealworms were supplied.


On the 13th one of the young ones left the nest, only to

return to it again at night, but the next day both birds left it for

good. From the first they proved very adept at concealing them¬

selves under the leaves of the laurel and other bushes, and as we

had at this time some very heavy thunderstorms, they probably owe

their lives to this fact. In colour the little birds were a pearly grey,

striated on the back : head and throat were a darker shade, the breast

and under parts being unmarked. Bars of black and yellow on the

wings and a yellow rump lent a touch of colour which was especially

noticeable when they were flying.


On the 21st they were quite strong on the wing, and, on the

22nd, were at the feeding-table with their father.


The greenfinch in the other aviary, although undoubtedly

mated to the hen goldfinch has, up to the time of writing, quite

failed to persuade his lady love to set up house-keeping'. I hope

that they will yet do so, as very pretty hybrids might be the result.


July 28th. The young greenfinches were practically indepen¬

dent of their parents, although I still see the cock finch feeding them

occasionally. He has again started chasing the hen. I think it is

likely that they may make one more nesting attempt this season.

I hope that they may do so as they are well worth breeding.



BAR-BREASTED FIRE-FINCHES.


By Allen Silver.


Although not quite so charming a bird as the common African

fire-finch, this small waxbill is always worth buying when examples

appear in batches of what are termed in the bird trade “ Senegal

birds.”


For several years now I have bought odd specimens that have

escaped the vigilance of the sorter and I have found them quite

easy to keep, if fed on small so-called “Indian ” millet, plus a little

“ spray ” and “ white.”



