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I have long wished to discover some distinctive character between the

sexes of the Grey Singing-finch, and some time since, I determined to save

the skins of any which I might lose. During the last month first a female,

and then a favourite male (which I have had in full song for three years)

died. A comparison of the two skins shows that the male is decidedly

larger, nearly half-an-inch longer in the skin, but this may be partly due to

stretching; the skull is unquestionably broader, the rump is whiter, and the

abdomen, excepting at the sides, is pure white, whereas in the lien it is

washed with brownish grey like the breast, but without the darker streaks.

I should be grateful to any aviculturist who has an opportunity of doing so,

if he or she would test these characters by' any living or dead Grey'Singing-

finches in his or her possession, and let me know through the pages of the

Magazine whether they prove to be constant, as it is most desirable to know

definitely how to sex this sweet little songster (z). A. G. Butler.


THE SEXING OF GREY SINGING-FINCHES.


Sir,—R eferring to Dr. Butler’s letter above, several years ago I

bought four of these birds, two true pairs as it transpired, as each couple

reared several young. One died the other day', apparently' from old age,

but the other three are still flying about the aviary.


I have frequently tried to sex these birds ; of course one can often

see, from its movements, that a particular bird is a male or a female; and

one I can usually sex by its wing (Vol. VII., p. 57) ; but, from the plumage

alone, I have not often been successful. At the commencement of the

breeding season, as with the Green Singing-finch (at least it seems to be at

this season), the plumage of the male is brighter, but it does not last

throughout the y'ear. The clear white referred to by Dr. Butler, at any

rate in my' aviary, is not maintained. Neither can I always detect any

difference in size, though I think sometimes that the male seems to be a

trifle larger than his mate. Reginald Phillipps.



CORDON BLEUS, ETC.


Sir, —As I had a hen Cordon Bleu die of apoplexy in my birdroom a

week ago, I should be glad if you would advise me as to the giving of soft

food. I am wondering if I have been feeding my birds too well. I give, of

course, a plentiful supply' of seed—white millet, canary, Indian and spray

millet; and in addition I have every day been giving a dish of Abrahams’

mixture and grated bread or biscuit, with some preserved yolk and some¬

times ants’ eggs. This mixture is greedily eaten by my birds, a mixed

company of Waxbills, Bengalis, a pair of Pileated Finches, and Silverbills, etc.


This is the second winter I have had the Cordon Bleus; and I was

admiring the beauty of their plumage only’ the day' before the lien died. I

found her to mv surprise and sorrow on the floor dying on Sunday week.

Mr. Gill certified that apoplexy was the cause of death. E. E. West.



The following reply was sent to Miss West:


You feed your birds much too sumptuously'. These little finches do

very much better if fed on seed alone (do not give too much white millet),



(i) Two males which I lost some years ago agree in all respects with the one which

I recently lost.—A. G. B.



