156 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY 



■whiter; breast and abdomen smoky pearl-grey at the 

 sides, buffish in the centre ; under wing-coverts 

 brovvnish-white, flights and tail below smoky grey; 

 beak carmine, the culnion black, as also the under 

 surface of the lower mandible excepting at the tip : legs 

 yellowish horn-colour ; iris crimson. The female has 

 not been differentiated, but I believe she is a trifle 

 duller than the male. Hab., Australia, from Queensland 

 to Wide Bay district, and New South Wales. 



Abundant in the gardens and jjrassy pastures of 

 Sydney, and assembling in large flocks in the autunui. 

 In the spring chiefly seen in pairs. It builds a large 

 flask-like nest of grass lined with thi.stle-down in any 

 suitable low bush. As many as fifty nests liave beeii 

 met with in a single day, which speaks loudly for the 

 abundance of the species, and the only marvel is that 

 it has not become one of the cheapest and most popular 

 species in the bird market. A sitting consist* of five 

 white eggs. Tlie song, which I have heard manv limes 

 in my aviaries, is " Sce-sizz-it," repeated rapidlv about 

 five times. 



This is certainly one of the mo.st hardy of the Wax- 

 bills, and li%-es in a cool aviary for "years without 

 trouble, provided that, if a hen, it does not become 

 eggbound. Even then, if picked up and transferred to 

 a warm cage, it will usually have recovered by the 

 following morning. Nevertheless, Dr. Russ w'as of 

 opinion that this bird was more delicate than most 

 Australian R])ecies, and less lively. I was not specially 

 fortunate with my first pair, but others subsequently 

 purcha.sed have done remarkably well with me. I find 

 them about as active as Grey Waxbills. 

 _ This has generally been called S.ydney Waxbill. but 

 it is a very unsatisfactory name for a bird with so 

 wide a range. Mr. Reginald Phillipps, who bred this 

 species in his garden aviarv in, 1902 (see T/ip Avlctil- 

 tural Mayazitif. 1st Ser., Vol. VIII., pp. 289.293), calls 

 it the Australian Waxbill. 



St. Helena W.4xbill {EHrilda aslrilda). 



The prevailing colour of this bird is earthy grey, 

 with narrow darker transverse bars, the under parts 

 washed with ro.se colour, which deepens to bright 

 crimson on the centre of abdomen ; the vent, under 

 tail coverts, and inner webs of tail feathers black ; the 

 lores, and a streak continuous therewith enclosing the 

 eye and extending to the ear-coverts, bright crimson ; 

 beak crimson, feet blackish, iris brown. The female 

 has less crimson on the abdomen than the male ; she 

 is also slightly smaller, and has a shorter and more 

 rapidly tapered beak. Hab., S. Africa, ranging to 

 Damaraland on the west and Matabeleland on the east. 

 It has been introduced into St. Helena, Mauritius, 

 Madagascar, etc. 



In his great work on the " Birds of Africa," Captain 

 Shelley recognises three sub-species of this species and 

 three other forms he regards as true .species, viz., 

 E. minor (East Africa), E. occidentalis (West and 

 North-east Africa), and E. ruhrirentris (Gaboon to 

 Angola). On the other hand. Dr. Sharpe regards 

 E. minor and E. rvhrivcntrin as sub-species, and 

 E. occidentalia as synonymous with the latter. Doubt- 

 less all the forms have at times been sold indis- 

 criminately a.s St. Helena Waxbills ; they chiefly differ 

 in size and richness of colouring. 



The nest, when built in a state of liberty, is said to 

 be often as large as a stable-bucket and inhabited by 

 .several jKiirs ; it is formed of all kinds of rubbish and 

 lined with a mass of feathers. As usual, the eggs are 

 white, and as many as fourteen are sometimes found in 

 a single nest. 



In its wild state this bird is gregarious, and can lie 



captured in flocks of hundreds; it is, therefore, no 

 marvel that it is cheap in the bird market, in spite of 

 Its tendency to drop off unexpectedly when first im- 

 jK)rted. 



The song of this Waxbill consists of six shrill notes 

 and IS not unpleasing, whilst the bird itself brigbteni 

 up an aviary so long as it lives ; but, unless purchased 

 in the spring, this and all African Waxbills are almost 

 certain to die soon after their arrival. Up to the 

 prestmt time I do not think I have been able to keep 

 the St. Helena Waxbill for more than eighteen months ; 

 but in one of those toy -aviaries (of the Crystal Palace 

 jjattern) kept in a sitting-room at an even temjierature 

 most delicate Finches- will live for yeare ; yet it is 

 far more saiisfactory to turn it into "an outdoor aviary 

 at the commencement of the warm weather, and so 

 gradually acclimatise it; there would then be some 

 chance of breeding it. 



Gret Waxbill [Eslrilda cincrea). 



Similar to the preceding species, but decidedly 

 smaller ; paler colouring above and below, with less 

 defined barring to the feathers ; le.ss crimson on the 

 abdomen, and distinctly .'-horter tail. Hab., " Tropical 

 Africa, from 5 deg. to "17 deg. N. I.,at." (Shelley.) 



Of the wild life of this species, Captain Shelley 

 records the following (" Birds of Africa," Vol. IV.\ 

 Part 1, pp. 205-4) : — " Its occurrence in the Cape Verde 

 Islands was first recorded by Dr. Dohrn, and Mr. 

 Keulemans, wha accompanied his expedition to those 

 islands, informs me : ' It was met with in flocks of con- 

 siderable size along the banks of the streams. Native 

 names. " Gingerotte " and " Boco veimillio.' " 



Captain Shelley proceeds to tell us that according to 

 Mr. Boyd Alexander's notes, " it frequtnts the sugar- 

 cane in large flocks, which keep up a constant twittering 

 while on the wing, and reminded him of the Lesser 

 Redpoll. It is locally known as the ' Sugar-cane bird.' 

 He found it on .Santiago, Brava, Sao Vicente and 

 Boavista. On November 17th, while on Sao Nicolau, he 

 took a nest of the species. " It was placed between the 

 upper stems of a young orange-tree, domed like a 

 Sparrow's, and comjxised of very fine freshly-plucked 

 grass. The eggs, four in number, were white, and 

 measured 0.6 by 0.45." 



Wben first im|K>rted this bird is even more delicate 

 than the preceding species, particularly if purchased 

 in the autumn or winter. Up to 1898 I had rarely been 

 able to keep it for more than a year : of a p;iir which 

 I purchased in the .spring. I think of that year, one died 

 within twelve months, but the other was alive in 1906 

 when it mysteriously vanished ; whether it died in some 

 corner or was kille<l by mice I <lon't know. 



This little Finch has built and laid eggs in my bird- 

 room, but it did not .succeed in hatching them. The 

 nest was formed entirely of hay, so far as I could see; 

 the weaving was dome systematically, the hen ."sitting 

 inside, and p-issingthe bents through to the cock, n'hich 

 sat outside and pit>ed them back to his partner, and 

 between tlum they made a very neat and ciniipact-look- 

 ing globe-shaped domicile. The Commcn Waxbill is of 

 .iboiit the size of the Indian Avadavat. but it is far niore 

 lively. Like most of the Astrild.s, it can lie obtained for 

 a few .shillings, and therefore it should be in eveiy 

 aviarj-. 



ROSY-RL'MPKD OR SuNDF.V.M.I.'s WaXHILL 



{Eslrilda r/wdopi/ga). 



Above pale brown with darker h:\TS, head greyer and 

 less distinctly harred ; upper tail-coverts rosy crimson; 

 median wing-oaverts ashy-bniwn, greater coverts similar 



