PREFACE. 



■which the life-history is quite unknown to science. We 



.should study birds, not merely keep them as if they 

 were mere luxuries for the gratification of the senses of 

 sight and sound. 



In conclusion, I can only hope that this work will 

 he usefiJ ; it is the result of many months' steady work, 

 and embodies not only my own experience in the care 

 of more than two hundred species of foreign birds, but 

 that of many other strenuous workers. In order to 

 do justice to it, I have had to refer constantly to nearly 

 every book in my ornithological library, and this alone 

 means tlie collation of interesting facts which cannot 

 be got hastily together. 



A. G. BUTLER. 



The following works have been quoted from in the 

 present volume ; — 



Andre, E. : A Naturalist in the Guianas. 

 A%'icultural Magazine, The (Journal of the Avicul- 

 tural Society) ; First and Second Series. 



Bartlett, E. : A Slonograph of the Weaver-Birds and 

 Finches. 



Beebe, C. W. : Two Bird-Lovers in Mexico. 

 Blanford, W. T. : Birds of Eastern Persia. 

 Burmeister, Dr. H. : Systematische Uebersicht der 

 Thiere Brasiiiens ; Vogel (Part 3, Vol. IL). 

 Buller, Sir W. : Birds of New Zealand. 

 Butler, Dr. A. G. : — 



Foreign Finches in Captivity. 

 Foreign Bird-keeping (Part 1). 

 Birds' Eggs of the British Isles. 

 Hints on Cage-birds. 

 How to Sex Cage-birds. 

 Campbell, A. J. : Nests and Egg-s of Australian 

 Birds. 



Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum 

 (Vols. VI., VIL, VIIL, XI., XIL, XIIL). 



Catalogue of Eggs in the British Museum (Vol. IV.). 

 Cooper, J. G. : Geological Survey of California ; 

 Ornithology (Vol. I). 



Crawshay, R. : The Birds of Tierra del Fuego. 

 David, Pere, and Oustalet, Dr. .7. F. E. : Oiseaux de 

 Chine. 



Emu, The. (Journal of the Australian Ornithologists' 

 L'nion). 



Feathered World, The (edited by Mrs. Comyne- 

 Lewer). 



Gould, J. : Handbook to the Birds of Australia 



(Vol. I.). 



Heuglin, M. T. von : Ornithologie Nordost-Africas 

 (Vol. I.). 



Hume, A. 0., and Gates, E. W. : The Nests and Eggs 

 of Indian Birds (second edition, Vols. I. and II.). 



Ibia, The (Journ.al of the British Ornithologists'' 

 Union). 



Irby, Colonel L. H. : Ornithology of the Straits of 

 Gibraltar. 



Jerdon, Dr. T. E. : Birds of India (Vols. I. and II.). 

 Journal of the South African Ornithologists' Union, 

 The 



Layard, Consul ¥.. L., and Sharpe, Dr. R. B. : Birds 

 of South Africa. 

 Legge, Colonel W. V. : Birds of Ceylon (Vol II.). 

 Miller, Mrs. Olive Thorne : Little Brothers of the Air. 

 North, A. J. : Catalogue of Nests and Egg3 of Birds 

 found breeding in Australia and Tasmania. 

 Ornithologist and Oologist (Vol. X.). 

 Ridgway, Professor R. : Birds of North and Middle 

 America (Vols. I., II., and IV.). 

 Russ, Dr. Karl: — 



Die Gefiederte Welt (Vol. IX.. 1880). 

 Handbuch fur Vogelliebhaber. 

 Die Fremdlandischen Stubenvogel (Vols. I. and 

 IL). 

 Sclater, Dr. P. L., and Hudson, W. H. : Argentine 

 Ornithology (Vol. I.). 

 Seebohm, H. : — 



A History of British Birds (Vol. I.). 

 Birds of the Japanese Empire. 

 Shelley, Captain G. E. : The Birds of Africa (Vols. 

 III. and IV.). 



Stark, Dr. A. C. and Sclater, W. L. : The Birds of 

 Africa (Vol. I.). 

 Taczanowski, L. : Ornithologie du Perou (Vol. II.). 

 Tristram, Canon H. B. : Birds of Palestine. 

 United States Natural History Museum. Proceedings 

 of the. 



Whitaker, J. L. S. : Birds of Tunisia (Vol. I.). 

 Wiener, A. : Cassell's Cage-birds. 

 Zoological Society o'. London : 



List of the Animals in the Gardens of the. (Ninth 



edition). 

 Proceedings of the Meetings of the. 

 ZoologiM, 7'Ac (edited by W. L. Distant). 





