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practically all eggs are hatched and all young reared. In November I

catch them up, and place each family with its parents in roomy open wire

cages, called, I believe, waggon-shaped ; these are stood on tables in a

window of an ordinary living room, and, beyond being kept free from any

draught, have no particular attention. Abundance of coarse sharp sand,

plenty of baked and crushed egg shell, a lump of rock salt (which is

moistened every morning) in each cage, plants of Poa annua pulled from

any neglected path or road side, seeding cliickweed when procurable—is

all that is necessary, beside the ordinary canar}" seed, spray millet, and

white millet. Although I see that the old birds are very fond of eating

3'oung shooting grass from the lawns in their aviaries, I do not detect that

the)' feed the young on anything but hard seed.


Mv birds have never wished to nest again after they were brought in

from their outdoor aviaries, and have never wished to rear more than two

broods. The 3'oung remain long in the nest, and do not leave until

practical^' full grown and strong on the wing.


When in the open aviar3 r they of course have access to the rock salt

and egg shell that is supplied to all other birds.


E. G. B. Meade-Waedo.



THE WHITE-BREAvSTED MANNIKIN.


Sir, — I bought a pair of birds from a well-known importer a few days

ago, which he called Pectoralis Finches. I cannot find any description

tallying with these finches in any book I possess, and will be obliged if

you can aid me in any way.


The following is a description of the cock : Size nearly equal to the

Ribbon Finch ; top of head and front of face black, a narrow band round

this, golden brown ; back and wings pale brown with minute white spots;

a patch on breast (like the violet patch on a Gouldian Finch, but shallower)

a mixture of brown and white feathers ; under parts brown, becoming paler

towards and shading into white at the vent; tail dark brown; bill slate-

coloured ; legs and feet pink-brown shade. The hen is not so clearly

marked. They seem to thrive on canary and millet.


I enclose a rough drawing, shewing the distribution of colours.


John Foueis.



The following reply was se?it to Mr. Foul is :


The bird yon describe is the Pectoral Finch or White - breasted

Mannikin (Munia pectoralis) from North-West Australia.


Until quite recently it was very rarel3 7 imported indeed. I remember

seeing one at a bird show at Brighton in 1896, and I think this must have

been almost if not quite the first living specimen seen in this country.

During the last year or two, however, quite a number have arrived, and it

cannot now be considered rare.


I have had about lialf-a-dozeu specimens in my aviary for about a

year, and have found them quite hardy but sliy and uninteresting. They

have made no attempt at nest-building to my knowledge, although I once

witnessed a most comical love dance; the female standing still on the

ground facing her mate, who, with lowered head and expanded tail, hopped

from side to side with great rapidity.


Canary and millet seed are about all tlie3 r require. D. Seth-SmiTh.



