36



On Bar-breasted firefinches.



In this waxbill the sexes, according to the Museum authori¬

ties, are much alike, except that the male is larger, slightly more

brilliant and exhibits more pronounced speckling on the breast than

the female. I believe I have possessed both sexes, but I did not

hear the males sing, because the continual chatter and chirruping in

my bird-room would soon have totally eclipsed the performance. The

call note, however, resembles that of L. minor more than that of any

congener, but it is much louder and more frequently employed.


When at rest, L. rufopicta perches in a squatting' ” position

with the head low down and the tail elevated at an abrupt angle,

and, although not a wild bird, it is always more timid than a cordon

bleu or common firefinch. Its movements resemble those of a grey

waxbill but they are less elegantly executed.


Quite large mealworms were eaten by my birds and the hard

seeds of a Zulu cereal grass called “Nyuti” were successfully manipu¬

lated. Flowering annual grass seed heads were also relished. Every

specimen I have bought in good health, however rough, lived a

reasonable period ; the only two sound birds I lost died from drown¬

ing in one case and fracturing a leg badly in the other. 1 found that

separation was necessary to obtain perfect plumage in a cage, but 1

dare.say in a thinly populated aviary plucking might not (I say

might not advisedly) occur. There is no reason why the species

should not be bred easily, because it gives no more trouble to its

owner than a lavender finch, firefinch or cordon. When these birds

come to hand unsound one cannot expect to put them right easily,

but a deal of the trouble which arises with birds that are received

sound is largely due to the fact that no pains are taken with new

arrivals. One must not expect birds to do well if “ bundled ” among

a crowd of lusty associates just after a journey, late in the day or

during inclement weather.


Gardeners take care to separate and harden off plants and

manipulate them in a variety of ways to ensure success, and a some¬

what similar treatment should be carried out with birds. This,

however, does not bear directly upon bar-breasted firefinches, about

which I have little more to say except that they are mouse brown

little birds with wine-coloured breasts, eyebrows, and upper tail

coverts, and are speckled with white across, the chest. Their bills



